


Building a (strange) family

by kinneybaby83



Category: The Lost Boys (Movies)
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:08:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 54
Words: 39,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27890518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kinneybaby83/pseuds/kinneybaby83
Summary: After the whole Emerson debacle, David gave up killing.Started to change himself.Fate saw fit to honor that and give him a new life, a new family.These are some of their adventures.(A prequel to Lost Boys: Strays)
Relationships: David (Lost Boys)/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 7





	1. Meetings

Sacramento. 

She knew she heard it that time. Something following her.   
She also knew better then to walk down this way this late at night. But there was usually a light down the ally way.   
It was burnt out tonight and the light from her phone seemed extremely inadequate.

Almost through the alley way. Then just two more streets to home.

She didn't make it. She hit the ground, feeling the body on top of her. She may have screamed, she wasn't sure.   
They flipped her over.   
She head growling, literal growling before the pain, blunt and bruising against her neck.   
She felt like she couldn't breath let alone call for help.

But, help still came.   
Voices shouting, then the body was lifted from her. The movement seemed to cause whatever hit her neck to rip out and she was sure that time she did scream. She reached up to her bleeding neck, trying to apply pressure and felt other hands there, helping. 

“Try to breath... We're here, we're gonna help.” She looked up, eyes not quite able to focus. The face above her was a beautiful boy, young and angelic with warm brown caring eyes. 

“I'm Mark... can you tell me you're name?”

She knew he was trying to distract her. From her own pain or the noises going on just out of her view. She tried to sit up and he pushed her shoulder down, gently.   
“Please,” She whispered, her voice strained and strange to her own ears.   
He looked torn for a second.   
Then, one hand still over her neck, he helped her into a sitting position.

Across the alley two men wrestled.   
One seemed like a wild animal, staring at her with wild yellow eyes and panting, animal face.   
Behind him, wrapped around his body holding his arms and legs, was another beautiful young man.   
Impossibly blond hair, piercing blue eyes.   
He seemed to be whispering the the man in his arms, calming words as his grip held firm around him. 

“That's David. He's my... friend. We wanted to stop this guy before he got you but he's wicked fast...”

She looked back at the boy, Mark, even as she felt herself losing consciousness. 

“What did he do to me?”

Mark looked up, looking to David for a moment.   
David seemed to sigh then nodded before continuing to whisper to the feral boy. 

“He's a vampire. He bit you.”

She didn't want to believe it.   
It was what had run through her mind, but it couldn't be real.   
Things like this weren't real. 

“We're gonna make sure you're okay. I promise.”

And she blacked out. 

When she woke up, she was inside her apartment, curled up on the couch. At first she had no idea what she was doing there.   
Then, she thought maybe the night before had been a nightmare.   
She felt her neck and met a large bandage. 

It was real.   
At least parts of it were. She couldn't be sure what parts. 

It was still dark, so she crawled into bed.   
The next day, her mom asked her what happened to her neck. 

“Do you know when I came in last night, Mom?”

“Well, I heard the door open. A bit of shuffling around... I texted you to see if you were alright. When you didn't answer, I came out here and you were already asleep on the couch. I just figured you were beat from work. You really should take the day off and get that looked at.”

She agreed and did that.   
The doctor asked what happened.  
She admitted she wished she knew. 

Almost two weeks went by. She had given up hope of learning anything the first week.  
And suddenly, he was there. 

She didn't realize she would recognize him, hadn't realized how much she had taken in of him.   
It was just after sunset and she was walking home with her groceries in her backpack.   
She looked both ways to cross the street, then looked ahead to the road she was crossing to. 

He was fairly tall, but what caught her eye was the flaming red hair, palest skin.   
It was the one who attacked her. 

Forgetting going home, forgetting that she might not be safe, she ran after him. 

“Wait... Wait!” She finally yelled when she was close enough.   
He turned and froze.

“... You...” was all he could say, looking her up and down. 

“Yeah... Can … we talk?” It sounded lame now, but she just needed answers, an ending. 

He turned and ran.   
Her jaw dropped, but in an instant she was after him.   
However, she was no match for him.  
Soon her hips gave out and in the inky blackness of the night, she lost him quickly.   
No, there he was there, turning down a street to the right. 

She pushed herself, and ended up in an empty alley again. 

Joints aching, frustrations high, she dropped to the ground, crying. 

“What happened? What did you do to me?” She asked the darkness.   
“They said... they said you were a vampire. That's crazy though... right? I'm going crazy.”

She wrapped her arms around herself, chilly now in the darkness. She hadn't planned to be out this late and really wasn't dressed warmly enough.   
She really didn't care.   
She rose to her feet, steadying herself against the wall, sniffling and turning to leave. 

“They told me I hadn't killed you...” She jumped at the soft voice. He was directly behind her, refusing to look up at her. 

“David and Mark. They said you would be okay... Are you?”

She wasn't expecting that...   
“Yes... I just. I wanted closure, I guess.”

He didn't answer for a bit and seemed... embarrassed. 

She stepped closer, forcing him to look at her.   
When she looked into his face, it was changed. Animalistic, yellow eyes and sharp features as well as sharp teeth.   
The face that had attacked her.  
She stumbled backward and he pulled back as well, not meeting her eyes again. 

“I'm sorry. It's true. I wish it wasn't... There was a woman.”   
His features faded, softened into the young man again.   
“She did this to me... didn't tell me what she did. I had no idea I would- It was like I couldn't stop.”

She chanced a step towards him against everything inside her telling her to run.   
He could be faking this whole thing, preying on her sympathy. 

But she did have sympathy. She wanted him to be alright and for him to know she was alright.   
She stood in front of him, lifting his chin with a finger. 

His eyes, blue again, looked into hers in uncertain.   
“David taught me- I... I don't have to kill anymore. I can control it... But, I still could have killed you.”

“But, you didn't... I don't understand everything going on here, but... I kinda want to...”

He smiled, shyly, then nodded. 

He held her hand, helping her down the steps that had no railing, down deep into the basement of an abandoned building about a block from her own apartments.   
She knew it was stupid and she knew she was literally asking to be murdered. 

Still, she followed.   
The place was dark and she had to trust his eyes to lead her.   
The deeper they went, the darker it got. 

This is it. I should have said goodbye to my mom...   
This is where I die by vampires... worse ways to go I guess...

Soon, light began to filter through.  
And music.   
Her eyes adjusted and once they reached what seemed to be the bottom it felt almost... homey.

He grinned and pulled back a blanket that had been placed over a doorway in lieu of a door. 

“JOEL!” She could hear the young man, Mark. “we were wondering if you got lost. You-”

She walked through the door and both Mark and David were shocked, rising up from where they had been lounging. 

The redhead shrugged. “She saw me on the street, wanted answer to what happened...”

David nodded, taking a deep breath and easing himself back to his seat. 

“We should have explained fully, or not at all.   
I'm sorry we kind of abandoned you, miss... what is your name?”

This was a vampire coven?   
All politeness and shyness and... 

She smiled.   
“I'm Lilly. Lilly Haim.”


	2. Invitation

Everything about the basement was comfortable, even if a bit cold.  
They had broken furniture everywhere, couches, chairs, beanbags. 

And lights.  
Heaven knows where they got the electricity from, but all about the place were warm lights, all kinds, no lamps matching. 

“I've been living on the streets since I was twelve.” Mark had started the introductions.  
“It was just mom and me till I was ten and she just left. Didn't want to mess with kids anymore...  
It all sounds so tragic saying it now!”

He giggled at the look on her face. 

“Maybe because it is?” David grinned from where he was sprawled out on an old wooden chair. Though it was old and broken, he managed to make it look like a throne.

Mark huffed a slight laugh.  
“I guess so... I just don't think about it that way anymore.  
I was about 17 when a met this group of like five vampires.  
I asked them to change me instead of killing me and they did.  
I was with them for like... four years?  
But, they were all just kind of... soulless. I just up and left them...”

*********************************************************************************************************************************

Year and a half ago

Mark watched her come out of the bar, had tried to pull her friend out as well, but couldn't quite convince her.  
So, she stumbled out on her own, lighting up a cigarette in the cold and dark alone.  
He was about to advance on her, attack her.  
He hadn't drank in a week and it was driving him mad.  
He didn't really like the killing part, but what choice was there?

He moved and even as he did he felt himself pulled back into the shadows. 

“What exactly is your plan there, Killer?” 

The voice was smooth and calming, cutting through Marks anger. 

“Gonna cause a ruckus? At best, she'll scream and you'll have to run off unsatisfied. At worst... She screams, you get caught and both get killed.”

Mark was dumbstruck.  
Could the stranger, with his platinum hair and cool demeanor know what he was?

“You got a better idea?” Mark spit out, challenging.

The stranger gave him a side smirk, slipping out around him and out of the shadows.  
He approached the woman and she jumped.  
He chuckled, apologizing for startling her and said something about bumming a cig.  
She smiled at him, dropping her guard and not only offered him one, but a light as well. 

Before he knew it, Mark watched as the stranger lead her to the wall of the bar, pushed her against it and moved to her neck. 

She didn't scream, didn't seem to even be in any discomfort.  
The stranger finally pulled back, throwing his head back and licking his lips. 

He smiled down at the woman and she smiled back, eyes unfocused. 

He came back, swagger in his step and lit cigarette in his mouth as he passed by Mark.  
He patted his arm as he passed and just walked on. 

Mark looked back to the woman to see her stumble back into the bar, no worse for wear.  
Mark then rounded on the stranger. 

“How the hell did you do that!?”

The blond shrugged, exhaling smoke, “Kind of hard to explain, really. Have you ever tried to control a humans thoughts?”

Mark shook his head. 

“Well, it doesn't work.  
You can't make them do your bidding or anything... but you can kind of suggest things.  
Make them doubt themselves, make them ignore things.  
She thinks we just had a major make-out session and I'm the best kisser she will ever encounter ...”

******************************************************************************************************************************************************

“And the twerp wouldn't leave me after that.”  
But, despite his smooth attitude, David seemed to blush at the story. 

Lilly had started to shiver a little in the cold, but she didn't notice. This was incredible, unbelievable.  
Not only real vampires, but... good guys?

Joel had noticed her chill and threw a large, warm blanket over her shoulder.  
She smiled at him, but was eager to continue the conversations. 

“When did you realize you didn't have to kill? Or have you always done it that way?”

David didn't answer right away and she was a little afraid she had pushed to far. 

“Unfortunately, I only figured it out about twenty years ago. And it was difficult to prefect. These young pups take to it much easier then an old dog like me.”  
She grinned, wondering if he knew she worked at an animal shelter or was just using the terms because they were familiar. 

“Twenty years? How old are you?”

He leaned in, lifting his chin. 

“48...”

She laughed, “Oh, that's not so old! You're all babies! I though vampires were hundreds of years old!”

They all joined in laughing. 

“My maker was. At least a hundred or so.” David explained.  
“And I suspect the ones that made Mark were ancient.  
Lost their lust for life and that's what made them 'soulless', as Mark put it.”

She wanted to ask more, to stay all night...  
But then her phone went off. 

“Oh, no... I have to go. My mom...”

They all started laughing. 

“Your mom? Wait, how old are you?” Joel asked, giving her shoulder a little shove.

“Hey! I am a fully grown adult who doesn't mind in the least sharing an apartment with her mother. It's cheaper and she bakes cookies.”

The all laughed again, Lilly as well.  
She didn't want it to end. 

“I'll see you safely out,” David announced, rising from his throne.  
Lilly said goodnight to the other two and wanted to say there seemed to be a longing in them as well, a reluctance to say goodbye. 

She followed David up dark steps, one hand in his and the other against cold granite wall. 

“We've never trusted a human with our secret. Are you-” He seemed to struggle for words. 

“I think so. It's strange, but I like you guys... I have no intention of telling anyone, if that's what you're asking. Hell, even my mom wont believe me!”

He chuckled a little and her answer seemed to mollify him.  
Once at the top, she turned to say goodbye to him as well.  
Impulsive, she just blurted it out. 

“Can I come back? Tomorrow night?”

David looked shocked, honestly, but pleased.  
“You're always welcome. The guys would like that, too.” 

She told her mother … well, not a lot, actually. Just the truth that she had started talking with some nice young men and lost track of time. 

Her mother raised her eyebrows suggestively and Lilly laughed her off. 

“Not like that! They were young guys, young. Well, except Dav- You know what, it doesn't matter!” she laughed. 

She told her mom she would be late the next night and not to wait up for her.  
Mom reminded her it was taco night. 

Lilly still ended up staying late with the vampires.  
They didn't even talk about vampire things the whole time, just life and laughter and anything. 

“Have you all lived in California you're whole lives... or just your... undead ones?” She giggled as she curled up on a flat, oriental pillow. 

Mark just nodded.

“I actually came from Nevada, originally,” Joel explained. “Carson city. I ran away from foster care at 17.” 

Lilly looked to David, leg thrown over the arm of his throne. 

“Yeah, but I'm from a bit further south. Santa Carla.”

She moaned. “Oh, it's beautiful! I love the beaches there. Do you miss it?”

He shrugged and she didn't pry. 

“I'm from Oregon myself,” She stated. “My mom met my dad there. He said he wasn't interested in a family. Then, she found out that was because he already had one. She packed up everything and three year old me and here we are!”

She looked at her phone and gasped at the time. 

“I'm sorry. I would love to continue this, but I'm already late. I'd invite you guys to my place but it would be kind of rude to eat in front of you...”

“What are you having?” Mark asked. 

“It's taco night...” She explained. 

“We cant eat tacos?” Joel asked, looking over to David. 

“No... no we can't. We haven't been invited Joel.”

Lilly let confusion show on her face.  
“Wait... can you guys eat- eat real food?”

David shrugged.  
“I never stopped. I have no idea if we need to or not, but we enjoy it.”

“Oh! Well, then you are most certainly invited to taco night!”

“We wouldn't want to impose,” Mark admitted, elbowing Joel in the ribs.  
Joel looked embarrassed until he looked at Mark's face and realized the kid was just messing with him. 

Lilly smiled at them all, excited.  
“One thing there is no shortage of in my house is food. Follow me!”


	3. Learning and coping

Mom was in bed when they all got there.   
So Lilly slipped in the three vampires to the apartment secretly.  
And it continued for the next four months. 

Sometimes they would come and eat dinner, sometimes they would bring food.   
Sometimes she made late night smoothies, other times it would just be massive amounts of popcorn. Sometimes, it was walking around the city and finding new things to see and do. 

Usually, the nights consisted of really bad science fiction films and old horror movies.   
Tonight was something they weren't sure if it was satire or really trying to be serious. 

"Wait... are you guys okay with garlic?" She asked as she brought out the artichoke she just made.  
Mark instantly recoiled, pulling a face.

David rolled his eyes.   
"Lets be clear; as vampires, yes we can handle garlic. Mark however has the pallet of a five year old and prefers not to eat it."

Joel and Lilly laughed and even Mark smirked. 

Mark took his usual spot on the floor.   
Joel folded himself into Mom's over stuffed arm chair.   
David and Lilly shared the couch, if you could call it sharing.   
He kept pushing his legs over to her side just to grin when she rolled her eyes and let him take up the extra room. 

Really, she loved the closeness with them. Not only did they like to hug and touch her, but with each other. Always an arm around another, a teasing shove, full on roughhousing. 

“No way! I'm twenty three too!” Joel exclaimed upon hearing Lilly's age. 

“Really? When? I'm April.”

His eyes widened, “Me too! The second!”

“Eighteenth!” 

“You guys are like twins...”  
They both grinned at Mark, though not quite understanding.

“Well, same age, same month, and you both joined our family the same night,” Mark said matter-of-factly. 

David nodded, looking at the two.   
“Make sense to me,” he agreed, nudging her leg with his boot.

She couldn't tell if they felt her happiness, felt her joy at being called family.   
In a few short months, these guys had worked there way into her heart and now it turns out she might have done the same with them. 

She grinned over to Joel and squealed, “twinsies!”   
She didn't say it, but she started to think up birthday party ideas for next year. Now, she just needed to find out Mark and Davids birthdays. 

The next night, David and Mark came alone, a little melancholy. 

“Where's my twin?” She asked, stepping aside to let them in. 

“There was... and incident tonight,” David started.   
They didn't leave the hall. David just took her hand absentmindedly and explained.

“He's a wreck. He lost a little control tonight and almost drank to much.”

“Almost! He didn't even do that much damage!” Mark burst out, looking miserable. 

Lilly's free hand went to his shoulder and rubbed. 

“He keeps going on about being a monster and self loathing,” David continued. 

“Where is he?”

“Back at the lair... Could you... would you go to him? We can't seem to get through to him-”

“Oh, of course!” She opened the closet to get her jacket and followed them out, running back when she realized she hadn't locked the door. 

David and Mark let Lilly go on her own, using her phone flashlight down the dark steps.   
Most of the lights were off in the basement as well and at first she wasn't sure Joel was even there anymore.   
“Joel?” she asked, quietly.   
There was no reply.   
She started to make her way back to the stairs to tell them he was gone. She was a little afraid if he left, he might not come back.   
No, he knew this was where he belonged. 

She kept moving around the room until she stumbled on what looked almost like a cave mouth, low on a wall further back.   
Taking a deep breath, pressing her claustrophobia down and back in her mind.   
It was creepy and she almost turned back.  
But before too long, it opened into a small room. It was trashed, as if halfway carved out and then abandoned as unworkable. There were pipes and exposed beams over head. 

But there, on the floor curled up on his side, was Joel.   
He had been crying but now just stared ahead into nothingness.   
He didn't move when Lilly shined the light over him.   
Hardly noticed when the light went away.   
He did, however, jump when he realized she had crawled on the floor behind him, throwing an arm over his waist.

She didn't say anything. Just held him.   
She soon noticed he was crying again.   
Still, she just held him. 

“I know I didn't kill them... but if David hadn't been there, hadn't noticed-”

“Dude! You've been doing this a couple months. It's not like you're used to all this. David was there. It's fine. I mean, the way he talks, it sounds like he had a harder time then you. David actually was a-”

She hesitated to say he was a monster, but it was true. He had killed. That was the past. 

Joel kind of huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, I guess... he really is okay? He didn't die?”

“That's what David and Mark said. Marks pretty upset. Said you didn't do much damage at all.”

They were quiet for a while before Joel pulled himself up to sit. Lilly followed, throwing herself over his back, arms around his shoulders.   
He brought up a hand to rest on hers, thumb absentmindedly rubbing her skin. 

“They sent you to check on me, hu?”

“Yeah. They were worried... I'm fostering a cat tomorrow from work... wanna name him?”


	4. Robert

One cat turned into two.   
They were a bonded pair and Lilly couldn't say no.   
One was an orange tabby, sleek, sweet and frankly stupid.   
The other was a cat so fat it was hard to believe he could even walk.   
The guys were all over the next night to meet them, laughing till they fell over at the sight of the fat cat. 

“Yeah, this guy is going on a diet, asap,” Lilly assured as she plopped the tub of cat on Joel's lap.   
The cat instantly rolled over, begging for belly rubs across his massive belly. Joel obliged as Lilly plopped the other cat in Mark's lap. 

“Alright. They both need new names. Usually, cats this old know their names... but, these guys are a little on the dim side, so we can call them whatever we want.”

“Tudball...” Joel chuckled, still rubbing huge belly. 

“Oh my gosh! Carol Burnett show? That's amazing!” 

The name was lost on Mark and David, but it seemed to fit the cat and the cat had no objections. 

“I guess that makes her Mrs. Wiggins. They are a pair.”

Another month passed, the 'foster' cats stayed. Tudball lost very little weight.   
The days began to get shorter as fall drew near.   
The movie nights picked up, moving more to horror. 

Manos, the hands of fate nearly broke them all. 

A scene came up where a couple of women of the cult were “killing” a man by slapping him.  
Lilly had never heard David laugh so loud he wheezed.   
She loved the sound. 

Even though that was what finally brought her Mom out of her room.   
She came out, clutching her water bottle, moved through the living room like she wasn't surprised to see three strange men laying about her house. 

Everyone was silent as she moved to the kitchen, filling her water, then back through the living room. 

She stopped at the door to her bedroom, turning to gaze at Joel. 

“No; you are not a monster... But if I find popcorn in my chair again...”

She left the threat in the air and continued into her room. 

No one could speak for a while.   
Then, laughter erupted again. 

“Well, there you go Joel. Feel better now?”

Joel nodded, laughing so hard his eyes had tears. 

“So that's mom?”

Lilly nodded, throwing her hands up.   
“That's my mom!”

“Does she know what we are?” Mark asked, still looking to her bedroom door with wide, amazed eyes. 

“No! At least, I never told her. There's no way she could know...”

From then on, the boys came around a little earlier in the night so Mom could be part of the festivities. Joel gave up the arm chair in favor of the floor with Mark...   
Until a vary comfortable second hand chair appeared in the apartment one night. A second one followed and Mark took ownership of it.   
It was crowded and comfortable and happy. 

David had taken to laying across Lilly's thighs, declaring she was actually more comfortable then the couch. She snorted and rolled her eyes, but allowed it. 

Then, a night came when only Mark and Joel came over.   
“Oh, boy... where's the boss?”

Mark and Joel shared a look.

“Doing... boss stuff.”

They refused to explain any more, only assured that he would be along soon. 

********************************************************************************************************************************  
An Hour Earlier

“You can do it...”

David pulled back from his victim quicker then he meant to, causing her to grunt in a little pain.   
He soothed her, sending her on her way a little dazed. 

He finally turned to get a good look at the young man.   
He had stood, wide eyed the whole time David helped his victim. 

He took a breath, calming himself.   
He could just do what he normal did for his victims. Suggest the whole thing away.   
“Do what, exactly? What is it you think you saw?”  
Smooth, calm. 

“You can feed without killing...”

Not what he expected. 

“You're a …?”

The new man nodded. He was tall with dark hair and stared at David as if he was the answer to the questions of life. 

“My coven, they refused to believe me. They-they wouldn't let me try to prove it... They threw me out...”  
He looked lost for a moment.   
David took him by the arm, just a reassuring pressure. 

“I've been doing it, feeding without killing, for decades.”

**************************************************************************************************************************

The knock at the door startled her, but not nearly as much as the young man standing outside her door.   
He was tall, with dark hair with a wave to it and big blue eyes that squinted the wider he grinned. 

“Lilly, meet Robert. He wants to give our little family a test drive.”  
David grinned at the shy young man. 

And so, another chair was soon added.   
Robert added a calmness to the group, a pleasant brother always willing to listen to problems and offer advice.   
He would often come over first, having coffee with Lilly.   
Most times he would listen to her work problems or problems with her mother. Sometimes he would have them both sit together and talk. 

He eventually revealed he was a psychology student in his past, just shy of graduating.   
He still liked to help people and now David and the boys had given him the tools to feel helpful again.


	5. The past is in the past

Rain came and the boys seemed to notice a change in Lilly.   
For starters, she was extremely subdued and asked David to help her with her boots.   
Second, she literally limped into the kitchen. 

“Are you... okay?” Robert finally asked when no one else would.

She nodded, filling her tea cup.   
“It happens every time it rains. It's the arthritis.”

The guys looked at each other, shocked. 

“I know: I'm to young. But not when you've been in an accident.”

Mark moved out of his chair and to one of the stools near the kitchen.   
“You were in an accident? And it left you disabled?”

She nodded, smiling warmly.   
She hated talking about it, but they had all been honest and open with her.   
She had to be with them. 

“It's okay. I was actually very lucky. . . Jay wasn't.”

Mark could tell it was someone important. He put a hand over Lilly's.

“Who's Jay?” he asked, quietly. 

She took a few steadying breaths she hadn't realized she was going to need. 

“Jay was... my husband.”

The shocks just kept coming. 

Joel also got up and moved into the kitchen.   
“You were married?”

Before she knew it, all the guys were in the kitchen around her. 

“We met each other first year of college. Six weeks later we were dating... a year after, we were married.”

She wasn't sure how it happened because she had started crying, but the guys had taken her back to the living room and set her on the couch.   
Robert perched on the arm of the couch.   
Mark and Joel squished on one side of the couch beside her.   
She realized David was behind her, arms around her.   
All of them had at least a hand on her.

“We couldn't afford a honeymoon straight away. We were still going though college and probably too young. But, we had finally saved up enough for a weekend in Frisco. It was raining. He was careful as could be... but the Semi wasn't.”

She sighed, head rubbing against the hand on her shoulder. She thought it might be Joel's. 

“It happened so fast. I was lucky. The last thing I said to him was, “I love you.” And I will at least always have that. Not many people get a last goodbye.”

She started to giggle and looked around at all her boys.   
“And then I got depressed and put on weight. Mom made me move back in with her and I found a family of vampires.” 

They all chuckled with her, hugging and squeezing her. 

David was the last to leave that night.   
He hung around, close to Lilly. 

“Thank you... for sharing your story.”  
She could only smile at him, unsure what else to say.   
She felt like he was looking at her differently.   
Maybe he was just distracted in his own thoughts. 

“I've... told the guys about my past... but I haven't explained things to you... I'd like to, if you're willing?”

She felt warmth bloom in her chest and her cheeks. She smiled and quickly lifted a hand to his cheek. 

“David, you're my friend and a very dear one. I'd be honored.”

***********************************************************************************************************************************  
After Max's Death

They had all been distracted. The younger boys talking over each other and Michael all trying to tell Lucy what happened. 

No one noticed him get up, fall to the floor and slip out the door. 

The horns were still in his chest, laboring his breathing and making him stumble.   
They burned and they ached and he wasn't really sure how he made it back to the cave.   
He waited for a long while, laying on his back in the middle of the floor. 

No one came.   
He fumbled, felt the horns in his back.   
He moved till he hooked them on some random broken furniture.   
He didn't even know what it was.   
He pulled and the pain made him scream.   
He breathed and pulled again, still hurting but managing to move them.   
The ripped and tore and blood was starting to rush.  
He pulled forward one last time, screaming as he felt them rip out of his body, free at last. 

He lay on the floor, gasping, crying.   
Where was Paul? Dwayne?

He lay there until the sun started peaking through the cracks in the cave.   
He thought for a minute of letting the sun have him.   
Especially when he realized neither Dwayne nor Paul were ever coming back. 

He was going to die.

And suddenly, he didn't want to. He was scared and wanted to live.  
He crawled, carried himself until there was enough darkness to hide in for the day. 

Was this what mortals felt? This fear, this pain?  
Every time he took a life, is this what went through them?

The pain of loss he felt for his Paul and Dwayne?  
His victims more then likely had families.   
Did he leave them with this pain?

No wonder Michael thought he was a monster.   
He saw David for what he really was, but David couldn't see it till now.   
*******************************************************************************************************************************

Lilly sat at the little table, tears running down her face, staring over at David.

“You lost everything.   
It would have been so easy to become bitter...   
But you became better.”

The corner of Davids mouth raised slightly, not quite a smirk.   
“I was already a monster. The only way to go was up.”

She reached a hand out for his and he took it.

“And he still didn't accept you? Michael... He didn't give you a chance?”

David shrugged.   
“He had his life back, had Star. He never needed me...”

Lilly squeezed his hand. 

“Well, we do. All of us need you, David.”

He did smile then, eyes starting to finally shed held back tears. 

“Shit, what time is it?”  
He reached for her phone on the table. 

“Sunrise soon. I have to go...” He stood, throwing up the kitchen window.  
He turned back, kissing her forehead hurriedly. 

“See you tomorrow. Hope you feel better.”

And out the window he went.   
She looked out after him but couldn't see anything in the darkness.  
She wondered with a giggle if he ever distractedly kissed the guys.


	6. First family Halloween

" So, are we going out tonight?" Lilly asked as she let the guys in.

A week had passed and Lilly seemed back to her old self.  
The house was decked out in pumpkins and cobwebs.

Lilly herself hadn't dressed yet and was a little disappointed the guys hadn't yet either. 

"Oh, we must!" David grinned as he and the guys walked into the apartment.  
" It's the one night a year we can truly be ourselves."

" Be yourself...?"  
Her eyes lit up as she watched them transform their faces, morph them to vampiric.  
Mark and Robert looked a little apprehensive,   
worried their forms might make her think twice about having vampires for brothers.

She did stare at them, eyes wide.

" Oh, this so beats what I was going to wear!"  
She ran excitedly to the bedroom, slamming the door.

Mom appeared, dressed as far as they could tell as a silent film star.  
She walked slowly by each of them, inspecting them as she passed.  
They all stood, rooted to the spot,   
wondering,   
praying she didn't realize what they really were.

" Very nice," she concluded, moving into the kitchen to fill the candy bowl for the night.

Lilly didn't take long and reappeared wearing the most punk clothing she had:   
ripped jeans with fishnets under,   
backwards seam crop jacket,   
and an off white shit under.

In her hands was the biggest bottle of fake blood any of them had ever seen.

" I need dark circles under my eyes.   
While I do that, you guys do the blood. I want it to look like you guys ripped me up good!"

After determining what clothing could get bloody and what couldn't,   
they had a great time slashing cloths and bloodying skin.

They offered to have mom come with them,   
but she insisted someone had to man the candy bowl.

So, they went out.   
They just walked the streets, store to store,   
being seen by as many people as possible,   
getting rave reviews for their amazing makeup.

They ended the night back home,   
and after Lilly had showered,   
settled in for the original 1930s Bela Lugosi Dracula.

Lilly let them know she felt deeply ashamed of them for not having seen it before.

" Have any of you seen a vampire films ever?"

"Blade," Joel and Robert answered almost in unison.

"Twilight..." Mark mumbled, clearly not happy about it.

David had to think hard and took a while in answering.  
"Salem's lot? But I don't think I ever finished it"

"Failures," she declared. "All of you."


	7. Music

“Do you play?” Mark finally asked about the guitar in the corner. 

Lilly had to follow his gaze to understand. 

“Oh, I used to! I just haven't picked it up in a while...”  
He got up and brought it to her on the couch. 

“oh, shit... Lets see what I remember...”

She tested a few chords first, retraining her fingers where they needed to go.

Then she started with a few things her mom had taught her.   
The guys listened happily, but didn't seem to recognize it. 

“Hmmm... No Clearwater fans, hu?”  
David chuckled, “They are a bit young for that.”

“Then I doubt they'd get Tom Petty, Hu?”  
But she played it a bit anyway. 

Then she tried Breaking Benjamin.   
She carefully played a bit of it, even singing on the chorus.   
Mark sat at her feet and watched her, amazed.   
The other guys watched her too and he had to admit she liked being the center of attention, actually impressing them, being the cool one in a group of vampires.

Then she switched to something old again.   
Something just in the back of her memories. 

“I cant remember much else,” She explained.   
“I'll get back into it though. I could teach you, if you wanted.”

They all fell into a comfortable silence as she continued strumming.  
Then David smiled as he recognized what she played, even before she had.

“Momma take this badge off of me...”

The voice startled her. She hadn't expected David of all people to sing.   
But he did, and it was lovely and raspy and she wanted more.   
She faltered for a moment, then continued. 

“I cant use it, anymore...  
Gettin' dark, to dark to see.  
Feel like knocking on Heavens door...

Knock knock knocking on Heavens door...  
Knock knock knocking on Heavens door...”

He realized everyone was watching him and quickly curled himself up on the couch,   
grumbling something about people watching him.   
However, there was a grin at the corners of his mouth. 

“You should sing more,” Robert suggested.   
“Both of you.”

Another week went by and Lilly managed to get out of David that Marks birthday was coming up.   
She kept her ideas secret from everyone as she planned.

She sat on the couch, curled up against the arm with notebook in her lap as the guys poured over movie choices.   
David soon grew bored with them and came over to the couch with Lilly.  
He stretched out, laying back and using her side to lay against.  
She stopped writing, looking over at him. 

“Hope I'm not in your way...”

He shrugged. “You're on my side of the couch...”

“It's my couch!” she giggled, though she did nothing to move or make him move.   
He just shrugged again.


	8. Confontation and Realization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This ones a bit longer with more of a plot.   
> It will continue through the next chapter as well!

The day of Mark's birthday arrived and Lilly could hardly contain herself.   
She used her lunch break to walk and pick up a few last minute things at the store.   
When she came out, she was greeted by a very nervous woman.

“I'm so sorry to bother you. But I see you're from the animal shelter? Maybe you can help?”  
She brought Lilly over to a large truck, windows opened a bare crack.   
Leaning over, she could see the problem.  
A dog way laying across the back seat.

“Call the cops.” Lilly demanded instantly.   
The lady did as she said and Lilly started tapping on the window.   
The dog didn't move, didn't stir and she really couldn't tell if it was breathing. 

“They want to know if it's in immediate danger?” The lady on the phone asked. 

Lilly nodded. “Ask them to come as quick as they can...”  
She then took her keys out.   
On them she had a tool for breaking glass and she smashed the window. 

The woman looked shocked and quickly explained over the phone what Lilly had just done.   
Lilly didn't care much.   
She was able now with an open window to unlock the truck and slip in.   
The dog still didn't move, but she determined it was breathing.   
She scooped in up in her arms and brought its little warm body out of the truck.

Soon, the owner came out of the store and the shit hit the fan.   
First was a string of expletives and Lilly knew she was in for it. 

“What the hell do you think you're doing?!” He screamed.

She looked up at him, then back down at the dog in her arms.   
He was breathing a little better, not much more movement than the labored breathing. 

“I think I just saved your dogs life?”

He was big and frankly, Lilly thought, dumb looking. He radiated ignorance.   
“You should keep your nose in your own shit, bitch.”  
He moved like he was going after her and the woman who first alerted Lilly stood between them.   
It was all the time needed for the cops to pull up and see it all. 

They called backup to deliver Lilly back to work, dog in arms.   
They assured her he couldn't get the dog back till she could check the little guy out, treat him, and make the guy pay it all. 

Depending on the dogs injuries, he could be looking at 6 months in jail.  
At the very least, he was looking at vet bills and a fine. 

Lilly locked up the shelter that night, praying the guys would understand.   
Well, technically they weren't expecting the party to be set up but now,   
they would have to help set it up. 

But she wanted to stay with the dog as long as possible.  
They got him fluids and brought his body temp down.   
He was going to be just fine. 

She locked up in growing darkness, sighing a little; happy with herself. 

She turned around and something hit her face.   
She crumbled to her knees, vision going out of focus and she looked up to her assailant.   
She cursed. She should have known.   
The creep with the truck. 

“Bitch,” He pushed her to the ground, slamming her head against the pavement.   
She was in and out of consciousness after that.  
She was face first on concrete one moment.   
Next moment, she was looking up at stars.   
There was no way to tell how much time passed in the blackouts. 

She head someone call her name and for half a second, she thought it was Jay.   
He was calling her to join him on the other side. 

It would be easy to let go and follow. 

But the voice wasn't Jay, and it wasn't calmly calling her to the afterlife. 

It was David, and he was screaming.   
She forced her eyes open, seeing the big, dumb guy above her.   
Then he was suddenly gone in a flash.  
She lifted her head but quickly lowered it as a wave of nausea rolled over her. 

She prayed she didn't throw up. She just closed her eyes and tried to breath slowly.  
If she focused, she could hear more shouting. 

“No! David, there's a security camera. You're covered in blood.” Maybe Robert?  
“If they see you on camera, they're gonna ask questions!”

Mark was much closer to her, over her in fact.   
“Just breath... why do I always find you covered in blood?”   
She wasn't sure if it was a joke or a true lament.

“I found her... shirt...” Joel whispered and she gasped.   
Now that she focused, she realized she was in just her bra.   
She realized what could have happened.   
She opened her eyes reaching out for the guys, any of them. 

“Get her out of here! Take her to the hospital now!!” David shouted.   
She knew it was his voice even though she had never heard him sound like that. 

She was scooped up quickly, so quickly she was in danger of throwing up again.   
Instead she blacked out. 

Mark stayed with her at the hospital.   
The guys had gotten there in time.   
The creep and hit her and gotten her shirt off, but no more than that. 

The cops came in to take statements, from her and Mark.   
Mark explained David had chased the guy off, but was still looking for him.   
Lilly was sure his earnest, sweet face would convince anyone. 

Robert and Joel looked for David with no luck. 

Around one in the morning, Mark delivered her home and explained to her mom what had happened.   
They got her into bed and Mom thanked Mark over again.   
He promised the guys would check in soon.   
“Happy birthday, Mark...” Lilly whispered, never sure if he actually heard. 

After sleeping only two hours she couldn't sleep any more.   
She got up and made herself tea, sitting up on the couch in a mostly dark living room.  
Both Tudball and Mrs. Wiggins tried to climb on her lap together.   
She didn't know why she couldn't sleep. 

There was a knock on the door, soft as if unsure.   
She got up, slowly, opened it without even thinking of using the peep hole.   
She just felt him there. 

It was David.  
He looked shocked as if surprised anyone actually opened the door let alone Lilly.

He just stared at her, guilty, eyes lingering on the bandage over her forehead.   
He was covered in blood,   
from his face to his shirt and jacket though it didn't show as well on the black. 

She took a step back, looking him over and her hand flew to her mouth.

“David... you kill him?” Her voice was hardly above a whisper. 

He wouldn't look her in the eyes.   
Finally, he just nodded. 

He gasped when instead of slamming the door on him she grabbed him.   
She threw her arms around him and held him in the open doorway.   
She felt him relax and eventually put his own arms around her. 

“Thank you,” She mumbled into his shoulder and pulled away, pulling him into the apartment and closing the door.   
He allowed himself to be moved and guided, saying nothing and not really showing any emotion. 

She hugged him again, hard as she could, admitting quietly,   
“I wanted to you to do it. I know I'm a horrible person.  
Its just the idea of him being out there, anywhere at any time, was terrifying...   
but I didn't want make you. Didn't want you to feel like-”  
She didn't finish. 

He pulled back from her arms a little, finally the hint of a smile.   
“A monster?”

She nodded.   
He chuckled quietly, setting his chin on her shoulder.

“Here I came to tell you I'm leaving after what I did. Didn't expect to be hailed as a hero...”

“What do you mean leaving?”  
He went quiet again. She pulled him over to the couch, both sitting close on 'his side' of it. 

He looked at her for a long while, hand coming up to push back some loose hairs from her face.   
Always, his eyes would travel back to the bandage on her forehead. 

“I thought you would hate me. That you'd never want to see me again. Though you would see me a beast. Especially since I didn't regret it... still don't.” 

She shook her head, “David... Please don't leave.”

He smiled again.   
“No. No, I wont... not after that reaction.”  
His hand moved over her cheek, making her feel a bit flushed.

“In fact, it gives me hope. . .   
Tonight, when I saw him...   
I didn't think. Just acted.   
He touched you, hurt you, and he had to die.”

She swallowed and wondered if she was hearing him right or if her injured brain was causing her to imagine things. 

“I didn't see it coming.   
It all happened so slowly.   
I started noticing how you laughed, took stock of what made you smile...   
Your compassion...”

He moved faster then she could track, pulling away from her and sitting on the edge of the couch. 

“I don't know where I stand with you.   
I really don't want to mess up what we have.   
I don't expect that you could love me, or even see me in-”

“David...” She started, reaching out for him. But he put his hand up, silently asking to let him finish.

“I have ruined every relationship I have ever been a part of, until I met you guys.   
I don't want to ruin ours by doing what I always do and just take it...   
I don't expect anything from you.   
Tonight, I just... I just want to be close to you, watch over you.  
If you decide you want more, we can go from there...”

She took a breath.   
He was being wise in waiting, she knew.   
Her head throbbed and she wasn't in the best state to make any choices. 

Still, she took his still outstretched hand in both of hers, running the palm along her cheek. 

“I admit... I haven't thought of anyone that way since I lost Jay.   
I have felt... different with you.   
Different from anything I've ever had...   
I have no idea really why someone as beautiful as you would want me.  
I've got no idea where this will lead... But I really want you to stay tonight.”

He turned to look at her, a shudder to his breath.  
Finger still held to her cheek rubbed across her skin gently.   
He leaned forward and her heart gave a funny flip as she realized he was going to kiss her.   
She leaned in as well, but it never came.   
Her eyes fluttered open and he was grinning at her. 

“Well, I was going to ask if it was okay... but I guess you have no objections?”

She giggled, then pulled him forward.


	9. Fluff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another long-ish chapter. 
> 
> Again, like my other Lost Boys story, this was just written as fun and to get me through depression.   
> It's working. :)

David insisted on cleaning up some before coming back to the couch.  
She had forgotten about the blood all over him.   
There were many kisses and giggles before they both crawled off to her bed. 

She guided him to which blankets to use to fully block the already shaded window.   
Then he settled on the left of the bed, pulling her against him,   
held her against him and ran fingers through her hair to encourage her to sleep. 

“Quick question before I do drift off... You can't control minds, right?”  
He chuckled, his chest rumbled under her head.   
She decided she really liked the sound and feel. 

“No. We can suggest things.   
But we can make people fall in love with us, if that's what you're asking.”

“I thought so. I mean, why would anyone make me fall in love with them...”

Even with meds from the hospital, her sleep was uneasy.   
The worst came when she woke screaming from a nightmare. 

There was nothing solidly frightening about it, only the sense that she was about to die and the guys voice.   
It was enough to terrify her.

“Lilly? Lilly, wake up...”   
He tried gently shake her with little success. “Lilly?”

She screamed lashing out and trying to break free of his arms.   
He had the sense to let her go, to let her free herself and continued to try to wake her with his words. 

“Lilly! Please, wake up. You're safe!” 

She did wake up, looking around the room to find she was safe.  
And then to David who was now sitting up.   
She sat up, too, rushing into his open arms. 

“Well, I hope this isn't a regular thing...”   
She giggled even though she had started crying a little as well.

“Me either.   
Well, the being in your bed is nice. the nightmare part isn't fun.”   
They laid back down, Lilly focusing on breathing and David's heartbeats under her ear. 

“Your heart is beating... I didn't know vampires did that. It's nice.”

When she woke late the next day, she wondered for a moment why her room was still so dark.   
And why there was a body next to her.  
And why her head hurt.

Then it all came back.   
David basically told her he was in love with her,   
stayed with her,   
protecting her through the night and now the day. 

She realized he was curled around her, her head resting on his outstretched arm.   
The blanket did a good job of blocking out light,   
but in the dimness she looked over him, his sleeping face.  
As if he wasn't beautiful enough while awake,   
something about him in sleep seemed so practically angelic.  
He was so calm and relaxed. 

She knew for sure she loved him. She loved all the guys.  
Now, she was pretty sure she was in love with him.   
It was overwhelming and wonderful...

And still didn't take away the pounding in her head. 

She moved carefully so she didn't wake him, but it seemed not to matter.   
David slept as if dead.   
She giggled as she realized that's exactly what it was. 

Mom had been up for hours.   
She smiled from the kitchen table when Lilly finally came out of her room and offer her tea. 

“How's the head?”

Lilly shrugged, going for the meds the doctor had sent her home with. 

“That bad?”

Lilly smiled, “It's fine. I just... I have things I need to do like call work, maybe make a report with them as well as follow up with the cops, and then-”

“Let it all happen. If they need you, they will get a hold of you. The cops will have already alerted the shelter and they'll know. Just take time for you.”

“... You're right. Like always, you're right... Do you have any idea how the guys found me last night?”

Her mother grinned. “They came here first and I told them you'd be late and about the dog. They chose to surprise you at work. Thank God they did.”

Lilly chuckled a little as Mom set down tea in front of her and sat to her own coffee.

“Um... Just so you know... David stopped by late last night.”

Mom smiled, knowingly.  
“I wondered if he would. He looks at you when he knows you aren't looking.”

Lilly wondered, for the hundredth time since last night, how someone like David could love her...   
and how Mom seemed to know everything.  
She smiled her own knowing smile. 

“David... never left last night. He's still asleep in my room. ”

Mom was about to take a sip of coffee.   
Her eyes went wide and she put the cup back down on the table.   
Finally, something she didn't know.

“Oh... “

Lilly snickered. 

“It's fine mom!   
We didn't do anything.   
I'm concussed and bruised all over; not up for a whole lot of … 'physical activity'.”

Mom had raised her cup again and looked at Lilly over it. 

“The state of your neck suggests otherwise.... But I trust you.”

Lilly wondered about that for a while.   
Until she went to shower later and saw.  
Bruises and bites all along both sides of her neck.  
She couldn't help the happy giggles that spilled forth, feeling like a high-schooler again.

The rest of the guys arrived as soon as the sun set.  
They burst into the house without knocking,   
freaking out and all speaking at once to Lilly who sat on the couch.  
They didn't notice Davids coats thrown over the couch,,  
didn't seem to see his boots on the floor.

“David never came home-” Joel  
“We're terrified he might-” Robert  
“What happened to your neck-” Mark  
“Have you seen him-” Joel  
“He wouldn't have stayed in the sunlight, right?” Robert  
“You didn't have those bruises last night-” Mark  
“We shouldn't be putting this on you in your condition, but-” Joel  
“I think he's hiding because we're pretty sure he killed that guy-” Robert  
“Seriously! Who attacked your neck?!” Mark

“Guys!-” Lilly had barely started when David opened her bedroom door,   
rubbing the heel of his hand over his eye. 

“What is with all the yelling?”

The guys stared at him, but he took no notice.   
He came over to Lilly as she just sat there ginning and kissed the top of her head.   
“Mornin' love.”  
And stalked off the bathroom.

All the guys were stunned beyond words.  
Mark kept looking at her neck, then back to David.

Lilly threw up her hands. “Hey! I found David! … Tada...”

Mark leaned in, still looking at her neck.  
“Did he bite you?” he whispered. 

“Damn it Mark! Only with human teeth... Back in a minute to kick your nosy ass. Gotta shower...”  
David growled before closing the bathroom door.

Lilly couldn't help but laugh, giddy.

While it wasn't quite the party she planned,   
Lilly was able to direct them all what to do;   
from cooking and baking cupcakes  
to setting the table and where the already wrapped present was hidden.

It was a guitar of his own.   
Old, second hand, but he looked at it like it was made of gold. 

“You're really gonna teach me?” He asked, clutching it gently to his chest. 

“As soon as I'm feeling up to it, you bet.”  
Most of Lilly's night was spent on the couch, half that time David was holding her.   
He was happy to do anything she asked and,   
at the insistence of everyone,   
she did ask for things rather then push through pain and do everything her self. 

The end of the night, the guys said their goodbyes, Mark hugging Lilly the longest.   
David hung back from the rest of the guys as they left, hanging by the door with Lilly.   
He kept touching her; fingers across her cheek, thumb rubbing the back of her hand.   
Anything to just be connected to her. 

He finally took a breath and asked, “would I be to forward if I asked to stay again?”

She just stared at him for a long time, eyes looking into his.   
He wasn't sure if he had gone to far. 

“Mom!” She yelled, tilting her head to shout behind her but still locking eyes with David.  
“Can David stay the night?”

After a moment, they both broke into giggles like a couple of high school kids asking for a sleep over. 

Mom agreed, rolling her eyes. 

The guys habit had been to go out as a pack early in the night,   
then head over to Lilly and Mom's apartment for the rest of the night. 

Now, Lilly noticed there was always at least one vampire at the apartment at all times.   
David would spend the day there and if he left, Joel would be there.  
If Joel left, Mark and Robert would be there.   
She realized they had organized 24 hour protection for her.   
She thought about bringing it up, complaining. 

But she didn't. Couldn't bring herself to just yet.   
It brought peace of mind to be guarded, and she wondered if it did the same for them. 

The nights came earlier and longer and with David there most of the time   
he took on a lot of the cooking.   
Taking instructions from Lilly and Mom, he actually got pretty good. 

Thanksgiving came and of course they had all the boys crowd around there small table.  
It was the most cramped and the most cheerful holiday any of them could remember. 

David dosed, laying his head on Lilly's chest as she lay on the couch reading.   
He stretched out his limbs like a cat before curling back up,   
squeezing her round the middle, satisfied at her squeak.

“I should head out soon...”  
She didn't think about it at first, hadn't actually heard him.

“What?”

“Head out... head back to the guys.”

She put her book on the coffee table in favor of running her hands through his hair.  
She didn't know how to respond.   
She just knew she didn't like it. 

“Oh?” was all she could get out. 

He sighed, turning his head till he could rest his chin on her sternum.   
“You're doing really well. Going back to work and last night you didn't-”

He looked away, avoiding her eyes.

“I didn't what last night?”

“Last night was the first time you didn't have nightmares.”

She was shocked, overcome.  
She was still having nightmares and she didn't know it.   
And David was keeping track, staying with her through it all. 

“What could I have ever done to deserve you?”  
She sniffled, hands holding his head, thumbs running over his cheeks.   
He pushed himself up, kissing her.

“But why leave?”

He shrugged.   
“You're mom is already worried we're actually sleeping together,  
you don't need me around as much...   
and you've never actually told me you want to start a relationship with me...”

She giggled a little,   
running her fingers through platinum hair,   
grown down to his shoulders now.   
“I guess I never verbally gave an answer...   
but I thought the fact that I let you sleep in my bed for practically the last month was a give away.”

She leaned forward and kissed his forehead.  
He could only smile as his heart sped up just a little.

“Really? We're officially together?”

She giggled again,   
unbelieving she could make someone so sweet,   
so beautiful,   
so happy. 

“And, for the record... I do need you around.”

“Well, maybe I should just move in,” he teased.

“How about it?” she asked. 

His mouth dropped open a fraction. “Really?”

She rolled her eyes.  
“David, you already sleep here.   
You guys eat here, you hang here, you shower here.   
I mean, you guys keep your toothbrushes here for goodness sake...   
I mean, as long as the landlord isn't told, he's not going to really notice four vampires-”

“Wait, all of us move in?”

She shrugged. “Mom said she didn't mind.   
She just doesn't know how to fit four beds in the spare room.   
And it's only if they even want to-”

He leaned forward and kissed her.

The guys actually fell to the floor laughing when Lilly asked if they needed coffins. So bunk beds were found second hand, beanbag chairs and all manor of random things were brought into the spare bedroom by the guys. Blankets were attached to cover over the window.   
Mark's guitar that he was slowly mastering had a place next to Lilly's.

At Lilly's insistence and her mom's annoyance, David stayed in her room.

“No way two people that pretty can stay in a room together so long and not give into temptation...”


	10. Working it out

“Where's David... and Joel?”  
The guys had been out for the night and only Mark and Robert returned.

“Working,” Mark said, as if that explained everything.

“Working?”

Robert grinned.   
“David decided if we're going to live here, we aren't going to be such free-loaders anymore.”

The idea of David working at a checkout stand or coffee shop brought Lilly to burst out laughing.   
“Oh my gosh! I'm sorry, but what kind of work is he doing?”

Robert laughed too.   
“Don't worry! I stopped him before he did something he would regret.   
I told him there weren't many people who know how to work on classic bikes like his.   
He put in add in the paper and he's got a couple people hired him to fix bikes.”

she stopped laughing. It was actually brilliant. 

“Wait... bike like his? He still has his bike?”

Mark and Robert nodded. 

“You didn't know?”

David and Joel came home that night, covered in grease and smiling like idiots.  
Even as she giggled protests,   
David pulled her into a kiss, pushing something into her back pocket. 

She squeaked at the hand over her butt and pulled away, fishing in the pocket.   
She gasped at the amount of money she pulled out. 

“How much is here?”

“A thousand...” His grin grew seeing her eyes bulge. 

“Are you kidding me?! I can't take this, David...” She tried giving it back to him and he pushed her arms back. 

“We're helping with the bills. I know we owe you as much for the amount of food and hot water we all use. Besides, that's not all of it. Joel got his cut and I'm starting a little fund of my own.”

He pulled her into a kiss again before she insisted he go shower.   
“Merry Christmas...”

The new year came, and with it Roberts birthday. 

“You guys don't have to make a big deal out of it...” He assured.   
They all laughed at him.

“Of course we have to make a big deal out of it.   
You're a big deal to us!”   
Mark assured, taking on cake duty himself. 

It wasn't a huge affair, but the newer laptop they had all saved up for was more then appreciated.


	11. First fight

The next night, Mark, Joel and Robert had just gotten up.   
They got up because of the rising voices in the room next door.

They peaked out their own room first,   
just looking at Lilly and Davids closed bedroom door.   
The voices continued and they crawled out to listen.   
They even got as far as putting their ears to the door. 

Almost as soon as they had, the door swung open.   
They jumped back and scattered to look like they hadn't been listening.   
But Lilly wasn't looking at them.  
Her arms were full of a clothes hamper and her head was turned back into the room to shout something at David.   
“Fine! Everythings just fine as long as you think it is, right?”

She stormed out, carrying her load through the living room and out the front door.   
David chased after her, still in pajama bottoms and t shirt.  
“Lilly, wait!” He went out the front door too and left it wide open.   
The boys looked at each other, then ran to follow them. 

By the time they reached the apartments laundry, the argument was still in full swing.  
Lilly was fiercely scrubbing detergent into some of the clothing and refusing to look at David who stood behind her with his arms crossed. 

“It's not like I'm asking anything over the top David!”

“Is it really such a big deal?!”

“It is to me!!”

“I'll get you another freaking shirt Lilly!” He threw his hands up in the air.

“You just don't get it!” She finally turned to shout at him, clearly crying.   
She turned back to the shirt and just dropped in in the washer, leaning against it.

Despite her being mad,   
despite still fighting,  
David came up behind her,   
wrapping his arms around her and laying his head on her shoulder. 

She whispered again, “You don't get it.”

“Then tell me... I'm here, I'm listening.”

She sniffled a little more.

“Its... It may not mean something to you, but I love that shirt.   
It may clean, it may not and while you man never think of it again, I will.   
And it feels like I don't- my feelings don't matter, that I don't matter.”

He laughed a little, kissing her neck.   
The guys could now see it was covered with dark purple marks.  
“You really think you don't matter to me?”

“I know its silly, but-”

“No. I get it. It's... respect. I am a vampire; blood is a given if this relationship is going to go forward-”  
She made a noise, a huff of annoyance as if the fight would have to continue.   
But he stopped her, hand going gently to her neck. 

“BUT...   
It doesn't give me the right to act without thinking.   
From now on, I will try and warn you and be more careful.”

She craned her neck around to face him and greeted him with a kiss.  
He sighed, happily. 

“That probably also means asking before I take your pants again, hu?”

She looked down behind her to find he had indeed taken her sleeping pants. 

“You stole my pjs?”  
She snickered and he did right along with her.   
“It's fine. I understand. They're comfortable...”

“Very comfortable...”

They both finally realized they were being watched.  
They looked over to the door way to see the guys peaking their heads in, not daring to come any further.

“David, what the hell did you do to make her so mad?” Joel asked when the others wouldn't.

David fell to laughing again and Lilly rolled her eyes.   
Lilly lifted the shirt in question. 

“Last night, David got my blood all over my favorite shirt!”

The t shirt being dark blue itself,   
with a Star Trek logo on it,   
and covered now with pink tinged detergent it was hard to tell what the dark liquid all over the collar was.   
There did seem to be quite a bit of it there.

“You let him bite you!”   
Mark's eyes were wide as anything.   
Robert stayed discreetly quite.  
But Joel made a big deal of whooping and cheering. 

David tried to hide his face in Lillys back.   
“They are never going to let us live it down...”

One thing Lilly loved the most was watching each of the guys figure out their place in the family.  
Though Lilly was fine now, David still did half of the cooking.   
Joel picked up a few things in the kitchen, too.   
And he just decided the dishes were his responsibility.

Mark seemed to like doing laundry.   
Well, not so much doing the laundry,   
but the satisfaction of everything folded and put away. 

Robert took over everything else he saw that needed doing from clearing clutter to organizing dvds.  
The dvd collection seemed to grow each week, bad horror movies being added all the time. 

She didn't want to mention how sweet seeing a bunch of vampires be domestic was.   
More importantly, it was a group of guys learning and growing.   
She felt special to be a part of that.


	12. Adrenaline

“Can I ask,” Lilly peaked at them all from her doorway as they prepared to go out for the evening.  
“What you do while you're gone?”

David turned his head with a smirk.   
“Wanna come with us and find out?”

The idea was tempting, but also frightening.   
She knew what they were, had seen them transform more then once.   
Hell, David had bitten her.  
But to actually watch them? 

“We may surprise you... You may like it.” He teased.

“You guys don't mind me tagging along?”  
She asked the other guys.  
They all just smiled at her. 

David came over to her and rubbed his thumb over her cheek.  
“How about you go put on something warm...”

She had seen David's bike,   
but now they were approaching it and her pace stuttered, almost tripping.   
As he was holding her hand he noticed her stall and smirked at her again.   
It was a cocky, flirty smile.   
She wasn't sure if it was hot or infuriating. 

“Are you scared?”

She snorted. “yeah! I'm kind of accident prone, in case you haven't noticed...”   
She lifted her wrist, showing her latest incident; a pressure cooker steam burn. 

The other guys were just making their way out of the apartment,   
hollering and causing a ruckus as the descended down the steps.   
Lilly was distracted by them and David took that opportunity to catch her off guard.   
He pulled a little on her hand he was still holding, forcing her to gain her balance against him. 

He chuckled low in his chest at the sound she made, making sure he caught her round the middle and he leaned back against his bike.   
She giggled a little too, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“You'll be fine. Just hold on to me tight. I've never had an accident.”

She raised an eyebrow, “Really? Never?”

He rolled his eyes.   
“One time... long time ago.   
Snapped my wrist.   
BUT, I know you don't heal like I do so I will be extra careful.”

She nodded, kissing him before they situated themselves on his bike. 

“Where did the guys go?”

“Don't worry, we'll catch up.”  
And he started the bike and peeled out of the parking lot.   
It was thrilling, and terrifying, and wonderful.  
She could feel more then hear David laughing as they streaked through the city.  
She snuck a glance to see everything fly by, streaks of color.  
She could see how it would be addicting.

They ended up at the Tower Bridge just as it was lighting up.   
David pulled his bike to the side a little ways from it.   
They dismounted the bike and David wrapped his arm around Lilly as they walked towards it.

“Built in 1935, it crosses the Sacramento River, replacing the railway swing through bridge of 1910...”

He was staring at the marvel. But Lilly found herself staring at him.   
His breath came out as steam and his eyes shown in the lights.   
He was just as much a marvel to her.   
“You... You said you're only about 50... how do you know so much about it?”

He grinned at her.   
“I have a thing for architecture... and history...”

He pointed to the top of one of the towers where the boys were waving at them, making Lilly gasp. 

“Wanna go say hi?”

She gasped, “You mean... fly?”

He chuckled, slipping behind her.

“Well, I didn't plan on walking.”  
His arms snaked around her middle from behind and his chin rested on her shoulder.   
“You ready?”

Her heart beat faster and she couldn't get a full breath...  
But she nodded. 

Suddenly, they were floating.   
He started just a foot above the ground, easing her into it.  
She huffed out a laugh as she watched the earth float farther away.   
Soon, she couldn't look down anymore,   
choosing to focusing on the guys and their ultimate destination.   
They were there, ready to offer a steadying hand when they arrived. 

After that, they moved to the edges, dropping themselves off to hang off the structure.   
David stayed behind her, holding her. 

“I thought... I thought there would be a lot more blood...”  
She admitted.   
He chuckled into her neck making her shiver delightfully.

“Not tonight. We don't need to feed every night. Just this can give us a lot of what we need.”

“Oh? And what is that?”

“Adrenaline.   
Robert brought it to my attention.  
I always kind of knew it, but didn't really think about it.   
We feed off of it in the blood as much as blood itself.   
Thrill seeking, stupid dangerous stuff helps. Plus, the view is amazing...”

And they looked at it, the lights of the bridge, the lights of the city.   
She had see the bridge many times before.  
However, the current view and company made a huge difference.


	13. Secrets

Mom did make one last big effort to keep David from sleeping in Lilly's room.  
The guys had gone out, but David had stayed behind,   
hanging on Lilly at the table as she drank tea with Mom.

"She's a farter," Mom stated quite bluntly.

Lilly choked on her tea and Davids eye went wide.

"Rip-snorters, loudest I've ever heard. Louder and more impressive than any man I've ever heard..."

Lilly was beet red.   
She wished she could deny it.  
Wished she could crawl into a deep hole.  
Truth was, she had been proud of it as a teen,   
honed her skill and became something of a legend with her guy friends.

"To say nothing of the smell..."

"Okay, Mom!!"  
Lilly finally shouted, a hand covering her red face.

David considered Lilly for a moment, emotionless, before addressing Mom.

"She's never done it in front of me."

Lilly huffed and exasperated laugh, throwing her hands up as if to say Sure! Let's continue the conversation of my gastro intestinal practices!

"Well, when she's awake anyway," he corrected himself.  
Lilly turned to him, her face horror stricken.

He ignored her, continuing to talk to Mom.  
"When she's asleep, all relaxed? Man! You have one talented daughter, hu?"

He snickered even as Lilly slumped forward across the table.  
He leaned over her, whispering apologies into her hair while still laughing that it was all true.

Mom realized she had lost.

The neighbors were a growing nuisance.   
Mom and Lilly were harboring a vampire coven in the spare room   
and yet were far less noisy and far more considerate.   
It was never much bother to the boys, but it drove Lilly up the wall.

Late March, the guys woke to music blasting again.  
But this time it was at a decent level and coming from their own living room.  
Lilly bounced around the room, not quite dancing but extremely joyful.  
David was perched on a stool and seemed more then happy to watch her.

“Evening boys!”   
She called out, grabbing Joel's hands and pulled him out to dance around the house.   
“They're gone! They left in the middle of the night!  
Didn't even pay their last months rent!”  
Robert looked at Mark and pulled him out to swing around the living room as well.  
There really wasn't enough room but they managed, letting their happiness lead them.

“To bad David doesn't dance...” Joel let slip as he and Lilly spun by David.

“I don't dance? Who says I don't dance?” David was off the stool and stalking over tot he pair.  
Joel pulled away from Lilly, giving David a proper bow and handing him Lilly's hand.   
David nodded to him before pulling Lilly against his chest and swaying to the music.

Before she knew it, he pushed her away and pulled her back, side stepping and turning her. 

“Are- are we swing dancing?” She asked as he moved her, lead her.  
He only smiled.

She didn't know if he could tell, but she was absolutely giddy.   
Then the song changed and he pulled her close, practically floating across the room.  
She looked down at feet and realized, “Waltzing! We're actually waltzing...”  
He just shrugged, pulling away to spin her carefully.

“And you are awful at letting a guy lead, Lilly.”

“Where did you learn to dance, Love?”

“Watching movies...”

She wasn't sure if she believed it, but she didn't pry.  
He never bothered to keep secrets from her, he was allowed at least one.  
She just enjoyed moving with him and having him hum in her ear.


	14. Scars and Scares

He assumed she must have had a difficult day. He woke up to her still in his arms.  
It was comfortable, a lovely change to waking up alone:  
Her steady breath against his chest and her arm across his abdomen.

He took that hand from his waist and raised it to his lips,   
kissing each finger till he felt and heard her giggle.

" Evenin'..." She whispered.  
He squeezed her once, a kiss to the top of her head before he slipped out of the bed and away from her warmth.

He stretched and grunted while Lilly just watched with a sleepy grin.  
“Sleeping in a bed again is nice...”   
He admitted.

She snickered a little.  
“As apposed to?”

He grinned, wondering if he should really tell her.   
He leaned over and retrieved a new t shirt from his side of the dresser.  
That was a hell of a thing for him to get used to:   
his side of the bed,   
his side of the closet,   
his half of the dresser.  
Though, he still tended to steal things from her side. Especially sleep wear.

He pulled off his current shirt, meaning to toss it in the hamper until Lilly gasped.  
He dropped it, turning back to her with concern.  
Her eyes were so large and worried looking, starting at his chest.

Oh...  
That's right.  
No one had actually seen the marks.

What had once been two gaping holes in his chest and back had closed over long ago.  
But the scars left there were jagged and at least an inch and a half in diameter.

He looked down at them himself, before grinning at her.

She had the back of her hand to her mouth like one of the bad horror movie heroine they watched so much of.  
He took that hand and raised it to his chest and let her run her fingers over it and the pale hairs that grew everywhere but over the scaring.

"It's okay.   
It happened a long time ago...   
Shit, probably before you were born, now that I think of it."

She lifted herself on her elbow and he leaned down to meet her.  
Their foreheads met.

"And they go all the way through? ... oh, m'Love...What you've been through..."

He chuckled quietly.  
"S'okay... I'm here now."

" I love you." She blurted out.  
They hadn't said it before, though he felt it with every fiber of his existence and felt as much from her.

"... I love you, Lilly..."

A sweet kiss, innocent and happy.

" They do make you look... tough," she admitted.

"Oh, really?" His eyebrows raised and smiled.

Lilly rolled over and sighed as the sun warmed her face.   
She gasped, realizing she was feeling sunlight on her face.   
She looked up at the window to see the corner of the blanket had fallen.   
She rolled back over to see an empty bed.

“David? David!?” She panicked, feeling through the blankets for any sign of ash or...   
she wasn't even sure.

“Lilly...” It was soft, quiet. 

She looked around the room, rubbing tears away with back of her hand.  
“David?” She whispered back.

She finally saw the doors to the closet opened a crack.   
She slid off the bed quick as she could, putting her ear to the door.

David chuckled, weakly.   
“I'm fine. Had to think fast though... pretty comfy...” She thought he yawned. 

She giggled and whispered an I love you. 

Having an adrenaline jolt, she was up for the day.   
She made sure the closet door was fully closed before she left.


	15. Cars and Rock and Roll

April came and Lilly and Joel planned their party together.   
They decided to split the difference and have it between their actual birthday.   
Besides, that's when the concert was.

“Who is this band again?”   
David asked, laying across the bed as she searched through her closet.   
She had an outfit for the concert picked out weeks ago,   
but trying it on the day before found it didn't look like she pictured in her head. 

“69 Eyes...” 

He tried, really tired to think but he had no idea which band it was.   
Lilly had introduced him to so many. 

She pulled her head out of the closet when he didn't answer.   
“Finish rock? Over dramatic at times? Come on, David! They write all the vampire songs!”  
She snickered at him.

“Oh, I should know all the vampire bands automatically, hu?”  
He threw a shirt that had been laying on the bed at her head.   
She almost caught it, pulled it off her head and folded it.

“So, the other thing for my birthday... Since you guys have been helping out so much, I've really been able to put away in my special funds. I wanna get a car.”

She said the last bit as she set on the bed beside him.   
He raised up on his elbows to meet her.

“Sounds good. What are you thinking?”

“I found one I'm in love with. A 2000 Jeep Cherokee.”

He pulled a face.   
She smacked him with the folded shirt.

“What! I love it!”

“I thought you'd go for something a little sexier...”

She rolled her eyes, “In case you didn't notice, I'm not exactly sexy.”

He raised his eyebrow and reached his hand around her neck.   
“Well, that depends...”  
He pulled her down on top of him as he kissed her for a good long while. 

She finally pulled back, flushed. She cleared her throat. 

“Anyway... I was thinking of asking this guy I know, who's a pretty good mechanic and actually pretty hot, to take a look at it for me tonight.”

He sat up fully then.   
“Guy... Do I know this guys?”

She looked at him for a moment. Then it dawned on him. 

“Me... I'm the guy, right?”  
She snicked at him as he got up and went to the closet this time. 

“I know you work on bikes,   
but I figured that was enough to know if there are any glaring issues.”  
He was throwing clothes at her and she absentmindedly put them on as he threw them.   
Once or twice, he took back an article before she tried it on.

“We can give it a go... Finish Rock?”

“Oh, come on! I know you like Apocalyptica!” She chided. 

“That's different... That's class.”  
“HA! They are a Metallica tribute band and you know it.”

He just scoffed in reply.  
She grinned and realized he had given her en entire outfit. She looked down at herself.  
“Am I as cute as I feel in this?”

He shrugged. “I don't know about cute, but I think it's hot.”

He followed her as she went to the bathroom to look at herself in the mirror.  
It was a nice balance of dark and punk with layers and pops of color. 

“Oh, my gosh... Did you just pick out my outfit for the concert? You have amazing taste!”

“Eh... to be fair, all this was already in your closet.” He admitted, wrapping his arms around her from behind and hooking his chin over her shoulder. 

“True... We have amazing taste,” She conceded, kissing his cheek.   
“But now, I'm going to change to a t shirt and jeans so we can look at my car!”

And though David took them to look at the car on his bike,   
he rode home alone as Lilly drove her Jeep back. 

It was the jeep they took to the concert.   
They had to start out before sunset the day of the concert,   
so the guys piled in back of the Jeep the early morning before,   
folding the seats down so they could sleep crowded and covered from daylight. 

Lilly grinned as she started their journey that evening.   
Something felt ridiculously homey about knowing her boys were asleep in the back as she drove.   
As soon as the sun set she had to pull over so they could stretch and put the seats back up. 

“You guys actually slept okay?” She asked as David held her hands and spread her arms to look over her outfit he had picked. He smiled, quite satisfied. 

Joel shrugged. “No problem... Even if Mark tried to cuddle me the whole time...”

Mark scoffed, jumping on Joel's back to attack him. 

“See! He's still at it!”

And soon, they were at the arena. 

It wasn't the largest group, but they were rowdy and excited.   
It was obvious the guys were electric, feeding off the energy and adrenaline.

David grinned as he lit up a cigarette.   
“Didn't realize how much I missed this. Crowds, the rush...” 

“Big concert goer back in the day?”

He nodded, wrapping an arm around her to guide her and follow the boys as they ran wild. 

“Boardwalk of Santa Carla and they almost always some kind of music fest going. Paul was the real music head, but we all loved it.”

She wanted to hear more, but the concert started then and in was almost impossible to hear anything over the crowd or the sound system. 

Morning light hurts your eyes  
But that's another thing  
Nothing really matters  
Behind the shades of blue  
Blind boys never lie  
But that's another thing  
Nothing really matters  
Behind the shades of blue  
'Cause in the end  
You're just reborn again

You want to rock  
Nothing's gonna make you stop  
And nothing's gonna break you up  
Everybody knows you're lost  
In the night time, honey

David actually drove the jeep home.   
Lilly had partied pretty hard and was sleeping in the front seat next to him.   
He grinned to think of this quite girl he loved being a complete rocker who sang and screamed till her voice gave out.

Joel's phone played more of the same music from the concert over the cars blue tooth  
and David was more then a little impressed she slept right through it.   
He lifted her hand, even as she slept, and kissed it.


	16. Birthday suprise

The Jeep really was a must; Now all of them were able to pile in it and take small trips out of the city.   
One such night found them all, Mom included, in a late night diner.  
Not some grand destination in mind, they just felt silly and went. Lilly loved that freedom.

Her phone buzzed and Lilly looked at it.  
“Oh, no...” 

David's arm tightened around her waist. 

“I gotta take this. Be right back...” And she slid out of the booth without explanation. 

David watched her go, watched the muscles in her shoulders tighten as she talked and wondered if she realized she was doing it. 

The guys hadn't noticed yet, but Mom had.   
She leaned over to David to let him know, “Her father... always calls around her birthday. He'll be wanting to fly her out, I'm sure.”

He didn't say anything.   
Wasn't sure what to say.   
He didn't touch his food after that and waited anxiously for her to return. 

When she did come back, she didn't looked keyed up anymore.  
Instead she just looked weary.   
As she slid into the booth again beside him, he wrapped both his arms around her and pushed his head into her shoulder, much like a cat. 

Still tired, she smiled.  
“Mom tell you? It's not a big deal. I don't really care for his company, but he knows I love Oregon and will take any excuse to getup there... and mom says he owes me, so...”

So, Lilly flew to Oregon for a week. 

Nothing much change at home. Movie nights continued with Mom, the guys would go out, David even had some work on a couple bikes. Thee guys would often trade out who would help him so they could all learn the craft. 

Lilly chose a flight that conveniently arrived in Sacramento at night. The guys drove to pick her up.

Though he had shown signs of distress while she was gone, when Lilly ran and dropped her bag to hug him, David ran too.   
He lifted her off the ground, pulling her legs around his waist, squeezing her and spinning her till she was slightly dizzy.   
He finally slowed down only to pull her into a kiss.

They soon realized the noise they heard was actually the other guys, their boys, making a ruckus over them.   
Lilly may have blushed, but didn't let David go right away. 

She whispered in his ear, “If that's the kind of greeting I get, I need to leave home more often...”  
He just grinned, letting her slide to the floor and picking up her forgotten carry on. 

“Did you have fun?” Joel asked, his arm around her shoulder as they walked through the airport.

“Eh...” She shrugged, reaching out to hold Marks hand.   
“The company was so-so. But he lives on the coast, so lots of beach and nifty shops. It all evens out.”


	17. oh, Rocky!

Summer came and was nearing it's end. One night when boys woke and Lilly was just coming out of the shower with her hair wrapped in a towel.   
David lounged on the couch, watching her approach him with a cocky grin.   
She leaned over the arm of the couch to kiss him.  
He reached his and to her cheek, then up to her head to pull off the towel. 

All the guys gasped.   
When she pulled back from the kiss, David saw why.   
His cocky smile was gone, as was her light brown hair. 

“Surprise...” She grinned, framed in dark blue. 

“Lilly, you look good in blue!” Robert laughed, shocked but clearly impressed. 

“Mid-life crisis?” Joel asked, moving up to her to run his finger through still wet strands. 

She rolled her eyes and sat on the arm of the couch.   
“Yes, I'm having a mid life crisis at 25... No, I'm actually in a show.”

David said nothing, just continued to stare up at her. 

“A show? Like a tv show?” Mark asked. 

“No, a stage show. A co-worker is in it and they had some people drop. So she asked in I could sing soprano. I admit it's a stretch, but I auditioned today and I got in! It's only a chorus part, but I'm excited.”

“...And so you died your hair blue?” Joel questioned.   
David had sat up, still silent and ran his own hand through her hair.   
She smiled, and bit her lip.  
If he would just say something. 

“Well, the director has this vision of all the chorus- oh, our costumes are reversible so during the bulk of the play we're in black- but for all the chorus at the end to flip our costumes and be a fabulous rainbow... and I got dark blue.”

“What show is this?” Robert finally asked. 

“... The Rocky Horror Show...” She grinned. Their faces showed her they had no idea what she was talking about. 

“Oh, you have got to be kidding me! Well, I know what we're watching tonight!”  
David was still playing with her hair, scooting closer to her.   
She turned to him and bit her lip for a moment. 

“I should have probably cleared it with you first. But it is washable,”

“Clear coloring your hair with me?” He laughed.  
“Pretty sure it's your hair...”

“Then you don't mind? You haven't said anything...”

He looked away.   
“To tell you the truth... I'm kinda smitten.”

Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened as she asked, “Really?”

“It brings out the blue in your eyes, makes a bigger contrast with the brown flecks in them.” He ran his fingers through the wet hair again.   
“Shadow cast or full stage show?”

It took her a moment to process what he asked. She sat for a bit just looking at him. Then frowned a bit before understanding. 

“Oh! Full show, sets and everything... You're familiar with Rocky Horror?”

He nodded, “But, I think it will be better with you as a Transylvanian...” 

So Lilly spent a couple hours every evening at rehearsal. She refused to let the guys watch any of the practices wanting it to be a total surprise. 

“That's the fun of plays; each director has a different vision and version!” She insisted. 

Then the big night came.   
They all dressed up; they had David help them with their outfits.   
He didn't mention it, but they all actually ended up wearing his style from his first year as a vampire... with a little of Paul's love of fishnets. 

Mom dressed up too, choosing to evoke the original film.   
With Mom to guide them the guys knew when to use their little squirt guns, when to shout lines, when to throw cards. 

It took them a moment to recognize Lilly. All of the chorus were dressed the same and had their faces half hidden by sun glasses that matched their hair. 

When it came time for the Time Warp, the 'Transylvanians' ran into the audience to try to get them to join. Lilly made a b-line for the guys.  
She dragged them out of their seats and into the isle.   
She had fashioned her dark blue hair into a faux-hawk and her face was white as her name sake with blood red lips.

She had taught them the Time Warp at home, so they ended up being the best of the night.   
While they all continued to dance, Lilly pushed David back into his seat, crawling on his lap and proceeded to make out with him.   
To say he was shocked was an understatement, but he fell into it quick enough.   
Then, she was running back on stage for the last chorus of the song. 

Robert grinned at him, “That's a good color on you!”

Still stunned fro the kissing, it took David a minute to understand.   
Her lipstick.   
He was tempted to wipe it away, but then shrugged.   
Mom said nothing and politely ignored the incident. 

Near the end of the show, with “Wild and Untamed Thing', They finally got to see the 'fabulous rainbow' come to fruition with all the Transylvanian's in little more then tops that matched their hair color and fishnets.

The guys hooted and hollered loud as they could. Mom was silent and her eyes got big for a moment. 

Curtain call came and they guys were the first on their feet, applauding.  
While other cast members went out to greet people directly after, Lilly ran back stage to change so she could just leave with them.   
They praised her and her ability to sing so high, her ability to remember all the dances, the scene changes.   
Everything they could think of, mostly all trying at the same time. 

David was just kind of quiet, leaning into her and smiling.   
The guys finally left, getting Mom home in Lillys jeep, David offering to take her home on his bike.  
She as finally able to give him all her attention and wrapped her arms around his neck.   
“What...?” She asked seeing the mischievous glint to his eyes.

“... You still wearing the fishnets?”

They road around for a while, riding out the adrenaline high that came post show.   
They ended up with take out coffee and sitting in local cemetery. 

“So... good show?” She wasn't exactly trying to fish for a compliment; more wanting assurance he thought it was worth all the time she spent from home at rehearsals. 

“Actually, brilliant. The director had some fun things I've never seen brought to it...”   
She didn't say it but it pleased her, knowing David knew his stuff and approved of the whole show, not just her. 

“Plus, he got you in blue hair... Will that be sticking around, by he way?” He cast a side glance at her. 

She shrugged, “I have no problem with it... can-... can I ask about your hair?”

He raised an eyebrow but nodded. 

“Is... is that color natural?”

He sighed, thinking about the question. Whether intentional or absentmindedly he took her hand; his fingers laced with her.

“Yes and no. It used to be a dark brown.   
It happened when I was changed.   
Max...   
he said he had never seen it before or since.   
No explanation. It just grows in practically white now...”

He finally looked up to her to judge her reaction and whatever he expected, it wasn't the fascination he found.

“You're incredible, you know that?”

He chuckled, leaning over to kiss her, cold coffee forgotten.


	18. Happy Holidays

“...What are you doing?”

David paused and looked down at what he was doing.   
His sleeves were rolled up to past his elbows and   
he was nearly that deep into the turkey, trying to dig out the giblets. 

“...What am I doing wrong?”  
He had watched Lilly do it the year before, and sure it was a year ago, but he thought it was pretty simple. 

“Only in one thing; Turkey duty... is my duty.”

He smirked as he began washing his hands.  
“Oh, really? We gonna have a power struggle now-”

He had turned his face and when he did, he was shocked to feel something cold splat against his nose.  
His tongue shot out and licked at the stuff on the side of his face. 

“Whipped cream?” 

Lilly stood there, her own smirk, and a spoon that still had the remnants of whipped cream on it. 

David cocked his head to the side as he considered her, wiped at his cheek.   
He didn't stop to think about it, just wiped the rest of it across her face.   
To her credit, she didn't even flinch, just a large intake of breath.

When Mom found them, she was afraid they were engaged “other” activities in the middle of the kitchen.  
They were, however, on the floor with a open container of whipped cream,   
giggling and trying to smear it into each others clothes. 

“Fine!” David laughed when Lilly sat on his chest and crossed her arms.   
“You can cook the freaking turkey!”

"Damn straight. I will teach you pies tomorrow though, if you want."

He finally felt it. He was being watched.   
Lilly had been laying over him as he lay on the couch.   
Rather then thrill seeking that night, the guys had stayed in, choosing instead to pass around a blunt to calm their hunger for adrenaline.

Lilly was buzzed, far more so then any of the vampires were.   
Things never hit the vampires as hard as it did humans.   
But she wasn't her giggly self she usually was under the influence.  
She had been staring at him and wasn't exactly scowling,   
but she wasn't entirely happy either. 

“What did I do now?” He laughed. 

She took a breath and her eyebrows furrowed.   
“I've known you guys for nearly two years... Been together with you for a year... I still don't know you're birthday.”

He rolled his eyes, prepared to laugh it off and change the subject.  
But just then Mark handed him the joint and asked, “Yeah, when is it? Why the big secret?”  
David took it, but scowled at Mark till the young vamp threw his hands up in surrender. 

“It's just not a big deal, that's all-”

“I still want to know.” She had changed tactics, letting her eyes go all soft and innocent. 

He passed a hand over her cheek even as Joel supplied, “Probably embarrassed because it's cliché; vampire born on Halloween.”

Mark looked between Joel and David.  
“Is that it? Biggest, baddest vampire born on the freakiest night of the year?”

David just shrugged, willing to let them come to their own conclusions. 

Lilly, however, continued to watch him, studying his face and his reactions however small. 

“Oh, my gosh-... That's not it. It's the exact opposite, isn't it!”

His eyes went wide, eyebrows shooting up. 

“You weren't born on the scariest night, you were born on the most blessed! You're a Christmas baby, aren't you?”

Everyone seemed to hold their breath waiting for David's answer.   
She smiled at him, even in his silence, knowing she was right. 

He eventually nodded, smiling a little.   
“December 25th, 1970...”


	19. Shocks

It started with Lilly losing her job.  
Major budget cuts and the higher ups cut her.

He wasn't sure how it ended up with them practically yelling at each other in the apartment.

It got the the point he felt he couldn't handle it any more or he would explode.   
Rather then do or say something he would regret, he had the sense to leave.   
He the opened the living room window and flew out. 

He didn't return till the next night.  
When he did, there were tears from her,  
but it wasn't just sadness.   
There was anger there too.   
And pure frustration.

" I know I was wrong, I get it," he tried to plead, to make her understand that he now understood.

"It's not even about the fight anymore," She shook her head.  
"You left..."

He frowned.  
"You've never left the room during an argument? I had to cool down!"

"David, I have never left without saying 'I need a breather'. Never left without you knowing exactly where I was... You just left, all night, all day."

The tears were coming harder now, this time just sadness, weariness.  
He reached out and caught her as she swayed. Held her close as she clung to him.

"Don't leave me, David. Not like that... Please."

And now he was crying as well.  
"Never... Never again Lilly. I'm so sorry-" and she was kissing him.

Rain poured outside. It was nearing sunrise but dark enough he was still awake, wondering at the woman in his arms.  
Her rounded nose, her pale lashes against her cheeks. 

Fights were worth it; they could always work it out, chose to work it out.   
He would probably never be convinced he deserved her, but she assured him she felt she would never deserve him.

Her phone lit up and buzzed.   
He chuckled as he watched her fumbled around for it.   
She slapped a couple places on the bed, lifting her heard an inch before finally finding it.   
He put his hand on her hip and kissed down her neck as she answered still half asleep.

"Dad, do you have any idea what time it is? Cause I sure don't, and if-"

He could hear the male voice on the phone, but didn't pay it much mind, focusing on Lilly.

"I see. Thank you."

Hmm... Maybe some good news?

"I can be up in a couple days... Not a problem... Thank you again."

She tossed the phone, then reached up that hand to pull David into a hard kiss.

When she finally let him go, he smiled and let his forehead rest on hers.  
"That must have been some news, hu?"

She turned her head away.  
"Yeah... Some news..."

He quickly reached for her, gently turning her chin to look at him.  
"Lilly?"

". . . My father's dead."

He didn't know what he expected... he felt his heart skip for a second.  
He clutched her shoulder and kissed it. 

“Are... Are you okay?”

She nodded.  
“I feel kind of guilty because of it... but I don't really feel anything at this point.”

“No. No guilt. From what I understand, he wasn't worth missing.   
But, you're going to feel something eventually anyway... and I'm gonna be right by you when it does.”

She turned to him with a weak smile, letting him kiss her.


	20. Road trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another part of a more overall story arch. continued for a couple chapters.

"You don't owe him anything," mom was sure to remind her as she prepped her bags by the door the next evening.

" I know mom. I know it's stupid-"

"It's not stupid." Mom interrupted.  
"It just shows your character. A lot more character then he ever had. I'm proud of you."

Lilly came back over to her and kissed her head.  
"I'll be gone probably a week.   
His lawyer just asked if I could help straighten things out.   
Call if you need anything."

“Where is David? You're not leaving without saying goodbye to him, are you?”

Lilly looked at her phone.   
“No, I won't. Thought he would be up by now...”

As soon as she said it, both bedroom doors open and all the guys came out with a backpack and folded blanket apiece.

David looked at the guys, then to Lilly.   
“Looks like we're ready.”

Lilly just stood there.

“Are... Are you not leaving for Oregon tonight?” Mark asked.

Lilly shook her head a little to clear it.   
“Well, yeah... But I didn't expect- I didn't think you guys were going to-”

David dropped his bag and took her face in his hands. 

“I told you: I'm going to be right with you through this.”

She smiled as he kissed her forehead, then down to her lips.   
She looked around him to the others.

“And the rest of you? You sure you wanna go?”

They arrived in Riverbend just as the sun was starting to rise.   
Pulling up as close as she could to the two story house,   
Lilly turned the car off and quickly rant up the steps to the pourch.

There, she pulled up a flower pot and found the hidden key.   
She unlocked the front door, watching the sun through the windows as she rushed. 

Through the kitchen she unlocked the door to the basement.   
Then, she was able to run back to the front door,   
pulling curtains as she passed them for good measure. 

“Clear! Run! You are invited into this house!!” She yelled from the porch.

The car doors opened and, covering as much of their bodies as possible in their blankets, the guys ran the small way across the yard and into the house.   
As she had instructed them before, they ran through the kitchen and through the door to the basement. 

Once they were all in, Lilly closed doors behind them.   
After the basement door was closed, they could slow down.   
There were a couple windows high up, but Lilly easily blocked those with boxes and things from around the basement.   
The guys space enough around the junk down there to get somewhat comfortable, having no energy for anything else.   
Lilly found David drifting off on a broken easy chair under the stairs.   
She touched his cheek and he looked up at her, weary and happy. 

“You gonna be okay?” He whispered. He touched her hand on his cheek. 

She smiled and nodded.   
“I'm gonna catch a couple hours of sleep. Lawyer will be here around 4 or so. Just rest.”

He was already asleep before she leaned down to kiss his temple. 

That evening, her fathers lawyer was still there.   
Mr. Fischer was a pleasant man in his late 60s.   
He made no secret about the fact he thought Lilly was mistreated.

“Not to speak ill of the dead, but...”

Lilly could only smile, assuring him it was all fine. 

They sat at the island in the kitchen, spreading out paperwork everywhere.   
There was lots of paperwork, things to sign, final wishes and things for the funeral. 

“Are you sure you want to take this on?” He asked half way through. “I can't help feeling his other kids, the one's he acknowledged and spoiled should take some of the responsibility.”

She laughed a little. “Believe me, if they want to stop by and help they can... But, it's been my experience that, if left to them, it wont get done.”  
He sighed. Apparently, he knew her half siblings as well.

The sun wasn't quite set but the rain that had been going most of the day darkened everything and the basement door soon opened.

Lilly and Fischer both jumped, but David didn't seem to notice or care.   
He stumbled to Lilly, eyes still not quite open, and slumped in the stool next to her.   
His body slouched and leaned over her with a little moan. 

Lilly couldn't help but giggle.

“Mr. Fischer, this is my partner David. He and his brothers came up with me. David has made it clear he wants to be my support through all of this... Even if I currently happen to be supporting him.”

Fischer laughed and even David snorted, nudging into her shoulder.


	21. Family (We deserve better)

That night they worked on sun proofing the basement. 

Lilly found the room behind the house was a work out room with some equipment.  
So, they moved almost everything from the basement to that room.

When it was clear, they brought down beds from all the upstairs rooms and laid them out on the floor.  
Lilly spent time covering all the basement windows completely.   
When the fire was lit, it was quite a cozy vampire hide away. 

That was where the boys spent their days while Lilly took care of the funeral and getting the house packed.   
It was cancer that had taken her father.   
Aggressive, caught to late. He hadn't been able to set any affairs in order.   
Some things were selling, some being put into storage,   
and a lot just needed to be organized and cleaned before company came over after the funeral. 

About the middle of the week, Lilly heard a knock at the door. 

She was shocked to see her half sister Angela there and pulling her into a hug.   
It was a little awkward since she had a baby in one of her arms.

“Lilly, I'm so sorry. Are you okay?”

Lilly led her into the kitchen and put on a kettle to make tea.   
Not really knowing the woman, she didn't know what else to do. 

She knew Angels was the youngest besides herself.   
She married young and already had a few kids. 

“I hear you've taken on all the funeral stuff by your self! You poor thing!”

Lilly waited for an offer of help or... something, as she pulled out mugs and tea strainers and set up everything.   
None came.   
So, she just shrugged. 

Angela handed Lilly the baby, probably about 6 or seven months old, while she helped herself to tea.  
Lilly became much more comfortable, having a baby to keep her occupied.   
She seemed to like her blue hair and gently touched it.  
Angel continued, as if they were true sisters, as if they had any relationship at all. 

“It must be exhausting. Lord knows I'd be doing it if I didn't have the kids to worry about. I mean ...” She rattled off a bunch of names and activities and something about her husband expecting dinner on the table by 5, 'goodness knows!'

Lilly couldn't understand wanting that kind of relationship, that kind of dictatorship.   
David would never act like that.   
She smiled a little to herself, thinking of David.   
Just think of David and you'll get through this...

“And really, you don't have to worry about that since Jay died before you could start a family-”

It finally dawned on Angela that maybe she had gone to far.   
Lilly just kind of froze, not looking at her and not acknowledging the rudeness. 

“Oh, I'm sorry... I really am. But you know what I mean, right? You don't have the family, the responsibilities... You know what I mean?”

If she would have left it at sorry, Lilly might have been okay. But she had to push it. 

“No, I don't. You can have a family without children. And in my family, we share responsibilities, don't demand. Does your husband ever help with the kids, help with the house?”

Angela was quiet for a minute.  
“I mean, it's different when it just you and your mom-”

“That's still a family, with our own problems and time commitments and life.   
But no, in fact it's more then just us.   
There's my partner, David, and his three brothers.   
They all live with me and are more family then I've ever known.”

She thought Angela would leave in a huff, being spoken to like that.  
But her curiosity apparently outweighed her outrage.   
“Partner... I didn't know. Is it... serious?”

Lilly let out a breath.   
“I'd say so.   
Going over a year now.   
And he's never demanded dinner at any time...”

“You called him your partner... isn't that a term gays use?”

Lilly wanted to roll her eyes. Then decided to be completely honest. 

“Yes, generally, but I think it should be normalized for any relationship...   
Well, that and David is bi-sexual...   
You know what I mean?”

Watching the wave of reactions cross her sisters face was worth it. 

“She left pretty quick after that. As if I'm the black sheep in the family... as if our dad didn't have a girlfriend and daughter while married!!”

Telling the days story to the boys around a beach side campfire brought out the humor in it.   
Sure, the part where she so rudely approached Jays death stung,   
but Angela's idea of what constituted as family   
and her reaction do Davids sexuality had them all laughing. 

David grinned,   
“Partner... I like that.   
It's... ambiguous.   
Are we super-villains?   
Undercover FBI?   
Partners...”

The beach they were on was actually down from the house and was part of the property.   
The waves didn't crash against the shore but quietly lapped at the small inlet.   
Lilly and David shared a blanket wrapped around their shoulders and the other guys each had their own blankets, all of them sitting around the fire. 

“And you said she's the nicest of the bunch?” Mark questioned, handing her the joint.   
The weed had probably helped with her humor as well.  
She took a long drag, bigger then she meant to. 

When she finally released it, she replied,   
“Well, at least she speaks to me... I think it's a plus.”

More laughter. 

There was silence for a while, comfortable and cozy. 

Mark finally shook his head, stood and grabbed the joint back from Lilly.   
“Man... kinda makes me glad I didn't have to mess with family. Choosing you guys is the best thing that ever happened to me. Your family sounds like a disaster!”

He thought about what he said and sat back down, passing the joint to Joel. 

“Sorry. Its fine if you want to bash your family, but I shouldn't. That's rude.”

Lilly snorted. “Rude or not, it is true. Bash your family, bash my family. I don't care!”

She shrugged. “The reason I'm upset at losing him is he never wanted to actually bond with me. When I was here in April? I flat out told him-”

*********************************************************************************************************************************************  
April

He had picked her up at the airport in the next town over.   
That might have been the worst part for Lilly:   
being stuck with him in the car for an hour. 

“You look well...” He started lamely. 

She nodded, more interested in the drive then the actual company.

“How's life? Keeping busy?”

She shrugged. “Work...”  
She was never sure what he actually expected from her.   
They met up so little, and talked even less.  
“I did get attacked in October...tried to kill me for breaking his truck window to save his own dog.”

She grinned at the memory. Sometimes she still got nightmares from it, but it was the catalyst for David to express his love.  
So, worth it.

He, of course, didn't think it was anything to smile about and he frowned,   
chancing a glance away from the road.   
“Seriously? And you never told me?”

“I was fine. No need to worry you. Not like you could have done anything.”

He scoffed. “Lilly, I'm your father. I think I deserve to know these things.”

Oh.... really?

She huffed out a little laugh, “Okay then. I'm also living with four men. All vampires. David is their leader and has taken me as his dark lover. He bites me. Left this mark.”

She pulled down the collar of her shirt a little, showing off the bites and bruises David had left the night before.   
Her father didn't even look over.

“I'm being serious Lilly. I do care for you and I want to know when big things like that happen in your life...”  
*********************************************************************************************************************************************************

“I freaking told him everything and he wasn't paying attention!   
All he wanted to do shower me with stuff to appease his guilt at ignoring me most of my life.   
Never even contacted me till his wife died. Then his dirty little secret, i.e. ME, was safe...”

Robert smiled at her. It was the most angry he had ever heard her.  
He looked into the fire and wondered how he ended up with the joint again.   
“I was the only boy. Four sisters.   
My father wanted a boy so bad.   
Wanted me to play sports, become a lawyer, carry on the bloodline.   
I ended up going into psychology.”

He stood, stretching and stepping a little closer to the fire.   
“He figured, fine. Kind of a doctor, right?   
He could accept a doctor for a son... he couldn't accept a fag.”

Even if they didn't audibly whine like Lilly did,   
he felt the sorrow, the empathy from his brothers.

“My sisters always felt a little animosity towards me since I was 'daddy's favorite'.   
So, when I let slip about the new guy I was dating to my sister,   
she let it slip to my dad.   
He cut all my tuition, got me kicked out of the dorms,  
scared off my boyfriend... Disowned me.”

He sat back down.   
Though there had to still be some anger, some sorrow there, he smiled.  
“So, I got scholarships and tried to graduate on my own and failed and became a blood sucking freak like the rest of you.”

They all laughed and broke the tension of his painful past. 

Joel piped up,   
“Don't remember any of my real family.   
Foster house after foster house.   
All of them in I for the money.   
Got thrown around a couple times, but removed pretty quick when it would happen.   
Man, the last house had so many kids, I'm not sure now if they know I ran away!”

There was more laughter before that comfortable silence again.   
Lilly pulled the blanket tighter, squeezing closer to David.   
He in turn pulled her tighter as well.   
She was surprised when he spoke. 

“I'm pretty sure mom died when I was four or five,” He started, now holding the joint.  
“Not that I particularly remember her,   
but I remember there was a time before my dad started hitting.”

He knew it was turning towards the dark.   
But now that he started, he felt he had to continue.   
It was a night for sharing, for hurting and bonding and healing.   
He had kept all of it in for so long.

“He started drinking when I was six and as far as I know he never stopped.   
Hated me and never told me why.   
I was black and blue so often they stopped asking about it at school.  
Seventeen, Max found me. And so I ran from one abuser straight to another.”

He leaned his head on top of Lilly's, not quite ready to look at her. 

“Six months after being a vampire, I went back to see my father.   
I think I meant to kill him.  
But I never got the chance.”

Robert ran his hands through his hair, kind of huffing out breaths.  
“It's the common thread with all of us I think.   
The desire, the need to be in control of something in our lives.   
Backfired big time, hu?”

And again they were all laughing; laughing despite, maybe because of the tears. 

“We deserved better,” David concluded. “We all deserved better.”

Mark grinned at him from across the flames.   
“I think we have it now.”


	22. Inner Demons

She could have easily slept upstairs in the house,   
but Lilly found herself curled up with David on a twin mattress   
that was pushed against the other guys mattresses as if it were a high school lock in.   
Being human, she was always the first to drift off. 

That night she did just that.   
She could vaguely hear, was aware of the guys still talking, still joking around the fire.  
Aware of David wrapped around her. 

Then there was a loud noise.   
It took her a while to realize that noise was, in fact, her.  
As Mom had warned, she had let one rip.

Once the boys realized what had happened,   
they howled with laughter.  
Mark rolled off his bed accidentally. 

Maybe it was just because he was closest he sounded loudest,   
but David roared with laughter.   
“That's it, Lilly... release your inner demons!”


	23. Funeral

The funeral finally came.

Lilly was up early, unable to sleep from nerves, worries, everything.

She made sure everything in the house was spotless and had to make due with leaving food oven on low for when people came over,

She put on the black dress she had found at a local thrift shop.  
She just pinned up her hair, not sure if that would even hold;  
it looked like another glorious day of rain.  
That was some comfort.

Pressing a kiss to her hand and her hand to the basement door, she finally left for the church.

There, she saw the rest of her 'family', four older siblings;  
Martin,  
Shirley,  
Elizabeth,  
and Angela.

They each nodded to her, but that was all the welcome she received.  
She knew she shouldn't have expected much more,   
but after all the work she had done it still kind of stung.   
Obviously, word about her and her mysterious 'partner' had reached them.

Then Mr. Fischer found her, had her sit with him.  
The service was over an hour long, but Lilly didn't hear hardly any of it.  
Before she knew it, they were headed to the grave yard.

It was pretty.  
It wasn't as grand as the one back home in Sacramento, but Lilly liked this one better.  
Half of it, the older half, was on the side of a mountain and covered with trees and overgrowing with vines.

The rain that she predicted while they stood around the grave, as they lowered her father into the ground.  
Umbrellas went up around her but Lilly had none.  
Probably wouldn't have used it even if she had one.  
The rain just ran over her, chilling her, distracting her.

A gloved hand slipped into hers as an umbrella covered her head.  
Not really thinking, she looked up to the umbrella first.  
Then, to the person who held it and her hand.

She gasped loud enough the people looked at her, her siblings glaring.

She looked at the sun and realized it was later then she thought, but still very early.

David smiled at her, tiredly. It was a wonder she had recognized him; he was so bundled up.  
His coat collar was turned up as well as a hoodie under it pulled over his head.  
He wore sunglasses and gloves.  
He kept the umbrella low to his head to provide ultimate shade.

But he was here, beside her through the whole thing, just like he promised.  
That's when she finally cried.

David had warned her,   
he knew the emotions would come though he father didn't deserve it,   
but she still didn't expect it.

She wondered for a moment if David had felt it upon finding his father dead.

She was never going to get closure with her father, he would never see her as important.  
She would never get that validation.  
And it was okay to mourn that.

Because, at the end of it all, her real family would always be there:  
Her mother, her boys, and David.

As she cried, David let go of her hand and pulled her against his chest, kissing her head.

Lilly and David got to the house before anyone else  
only for Lilly to find the others were up and were just finishing setting out the food nicely in  
the living room.

“You guys!” She grabbed and hugged Mark because he was closest.

She wasn't sure she would get a chance to hug the others because he didn't seem to want to let go of her.  
When he did finally pull back, he looked at her, worried.  
“You're okay, right?”

She nodded with a smile.

People started arriving then and soon the house was filled with people who all knew her father but had no idea who Lilly was.  
Lilly felt her heart pound and a general sense of unwellness.  
She told the guys as much and they made sure there were at least two of them around her the whole evening.  
She sat on the arm of the couch,   
arms wrapped around Joel my and he around her as they talked to Robert and Mark,   
all unaware her half siblings considered her from across the room.

“How?” Elizabeth shook her head.   
She was a fairly lovely woman with a nose like Lilly's but hid herself under tons of makeup.   
She didn't eat anything: just a glass of wine.

“They are all so beautiful and look like they dote on her!”

"They aren't natural... None of them..." Angela shivered.   
She sat in a chair with a plate of food in her lap and frowned as she stared at them,   
as if offended by their existence

"I wonder which one is 'David'. They're all just too pretty-"

"Maybe... I don't know. Maybe they owe her money," suggested Martin.  
He was the oldest and thought himself most sensible.   
He shouldn't be gossiping with his sister's like a bunch of old women.  
And yet ...

Shirley scoffed.   
"She's never had enough money for anyone to owe her.   
Must be something sexual. A fetish..."  
Her nose wrinkled in disgust at her own conclusion.

"With all of them!?" Angela cried out a little to loudly, drawing looks.

"Oh, I don't know..." Shirley pouted.   
She really didn't know and it was driving her crazy.

"Domestic: she does all the cooking and cleaning for them-"

"They're all gay: she can cover when any of them needs to pretend to be straight-"

"I'm thinking Shirl's right about a fat fetish thing-"

"Not all of them! That so gross!"

"Well, you explain it!"

"Vampire."  
They all jumped at the new voice, not having realized they were loud enough to over hear.  
The eves dropper was beautiful and blond with icy blue eyes.

He continued,  
"She a creature of the night and seduced them all under her thrall..."

They all chuckled at the idea: it was the best theory yet.  
Martin extended his hand to the stranger.  
"Don't believe we've met. Martin Starkey. Did you know our father well?"

David looked down at the hand offered, then just looked at Martin with a cocky grin.  
"Never met the man."

It left Martin feeling uneasy, as if he had done something wrong, something embarrassing.

While he was distracted with Martin, Elizabeth looked him up and down.   
He looked a little more punk then she cared for, but handsome none the less.   
She smiled and oozed over rehearsed charm.

"Well, just who might you be?" She asked, leaning in to him.

He turned to her, looking her up and down just as she thought she had secretly done to him.  
He turned his cocky smile back up to her.  
" Oh, I'm David... The partner."

Angela gasped, dropping her plate to the floor.

Her reaction seemed to please him.

"You know, is interesting... Lilly was the only one I noticed really crying at the funeral..."

In addition to his rudeness in pointing this out,   
they all took in a mental gasp realizing this was the man at the funeral with Lilly.

Seeming to have caused enough mischief, he began to push through the group.  
"If you'll excuse me..."  
Before he could get passed them Elizabeth grabbed his arm.

"Please, you have to tell us... What you see in her?"

He had a whole answer planned; every wonderful thing about Lilly that made her a beautiful human. Things that should make them feel ashamed.

Then he thought better.  
His eyes lit up, his grin turning from cocky to secretive.  
They would get no answer. They deserved no answer.  
And it would eat at them forever.

And he just walked away.

Each of them felt slighted, anger, and shocked.

They watched him come up to Lilly and sit on the couch to kiss her none to chastely. She seemed to finally think of the setting and pulled away with a laugh.

And it only made them more upset.

"After the reading of the will the house will be mine," Martin assured his sister's.   
"They're gone by morning."

David turned back to them, making Martin gasp. No way he could hear from across the room...


	24. Reading the Will

After the other guests had left,   
Mr. Fischer gathered all the children of the deceased around the table in the dining room.  
He told Lilly to bring David.  
"He's been a great support animal," he said with a wink to David.

So they sat, David holding Lilly's hand and grinning at her siblings.

"I thought they only did will readings at haunted houses in the movies," David whispered to Lilly.  
She rolled her eyes though she smiled.

"I don't think it's haunted, David."

"You've had for vampires living in it for almost a week and you don't think it's haunted?"

She covered her face and couldn't escape the out of place,   
exasperated, exhausted giggles they both fell into.  
The others around the table glared.

"Your father left this world rather in a hurry," Mr. Fischer began,   
politely ignoring David and Lilly.

They sat up at once, paying attention.  
David squeezed her hand. He hoped the old dog left her something.

"But in the time we worked on his will, he had time to do some soul searching.   
The will reads as you might ask expect..."

Martin got the house, as well as a sizable amount of money.

Shirley, The vacation house in Washington, and a somewhat smaller sum of money.

To Elizabeth and Angela, his Jaguar and the BMW as well as the rest of his money to split.

And to Lilly, if she wanted it, to pick through his keepsakes and take what she liked.

Everyone seemed pleased, even Lilly smiled a little.   
It wasn't a lot but, hey! He hadn't just forgotten her.

David just shook his head, disgusted.  
He didn't expect much else, but that didn't make it any less awful.

Mr. Fischer continued.

" The will also states,   
' however, in the event that my daughter Lilly is single-handedly left with the task of arranging my funeral, as I likely suspect she will, everything goes to her'."  
There was a gasp throughout the room.

"He explains,   
'My other children are well off enough and if they can't be bothered with me this once, it's high time I stop doing for them. Lilly, forgive my stupidity all these years and enjoying being taken care of by your father for once'."

Mr. Fischer smiled as he straightened out the papers.  
There was silence for quite a while, every one of them in disbelief.

Until David started laughing.  
He continued to laugh with his head thrown back even as the others started arguing.

"This won't stand in court!"

"How could he!"

"She knew! She never asked for help because she knew!!"

Mr. Fisher shook his head.  
"The will was sealed.   
Only I knew what was written here and I gave you each the chance, calling on Lilly last.   
Not knowing her, I wasn't sure if your father wood be right."

Martin stood up, "But Angela came by a couple days ago to help!"

"Well, i-" she looked at up between her brothers glare and Davids smirk.  
Though she feared her brothers wrath, she feared David even more: what he might do if she lied.

"I came by, but I didn't help... Or even offer. I actually added to her work by treating her like a babysitting for twenty minutes..."

David tried to smile kindly at her, appreciating her honesty.  
But she still looked none to happy, scared.

Instead, he turned his smile to Lilly   
but she just had her head in her hands as she laid her elbows on the table.  
She probably hadn't heard anything since , "everything goes to her".

The arguing continued but Mr. Fischer seemed unfazed;   
the deal was done, done fairly, and would stand.

David drew Lilly's hand down into his own,   
kissing them and then just leaving his forehead against hers.  
"Old man finally did right by you..."

Later that night, when everyone was gone,   
Lilly had gotten over her shock and couldn't stop moving.

She dragged the guys down to the beach where they lit a huge bonfire and danced around it .

"He said by the end of the week, everything will be in my name! We never have to worry again! I'm buying us all motorcycles!”  
She spun till she was dizzy and David reached out to catch her.

Everyone was laughing.

“Lilly, you don't need to waste the money you just got... especially on us!”  
Robert insisted, hugging her and lifting her in the air. 

She laughed and threw her arms out as he flew a little into the air.

“Oh, maybe you're right. But what good is all this wealth if I cant spoil you guys rotten!”

Despite the chill in the air Mark, Robert,   
and Joel ran down to get their feet wet in the surf,   
leaving David and Lilly in each others arms and dancing in the fire light. 

“Bikes? Really?” 

She shrugged, “Oh, why not? There's plenty money for a couple little crazy things... plus, the sales of both the houses.”

He stopped moving for a moment to consider her.   
“... Sales?”

She nodded.   
“This place especially, beach front property, will go for a lot. I don't know anything about the 'vacation home', but-”

“I thought you loved Oregon. You never thought about staying?”

Her jaw dropped. It was as he had shorted out her brain.   
Her head turned slowly to the side like a puppy.  
He couldn't help but laugh. 

“You really never thought about staying? What is in Sacramento that we cant have here?”

It took her a while to think of anything.  
“What about Mom?”

“We bring her, if she wants.   
If not, you have enough money to visit her once a month if you want.”

She hadn't realized he had started swaying with her again, slow dancing in the sand.

“You guys really wouldn't mind moving up here?”

He grinned, pulling her into a kiss.   
“Where you go, I go. As for the boys, you'll just have to ask them.”


	25. Staying

Late, late that night they all finally trudged back into the house.   
David had to support Lilly down the stairs to the basement.  
The long day, emotions, and excitement had finally taken their toll.  
She smiled despite her tiredness.   
“Okay guys... once last thing I need you to do for me,” she told them when they got down the stair.   
“I would like each of you to go upstairs and pick a bedroom.”

She waited, David grinning beside her, for them to figure it out. 

“Wait... we're staying?!” Joel gasped, eyes wide and excited. 

“Well, David and I would REALLY like to, and it would be better with you guys.   
I figure we go back to California to pack our stuff, come back in a week or so.   
IF you guys want too-”

Before she finished, Mark had jumped into her arms, hugging her.  
She imagined he was flying slightly or else she wouldn't have been able to lift him.  
She hugged him back as everyone else laughed at them. 

Robert looked at Joel and, since he was right by the stairs, pushed him aside to run up the stairs first.   
Then they were all rushing and pushing each other over. 

“So, do we just take whatever bedroom is left over?” David asked as she plopped down on their mattress. But, he was smiling and he helped her take off her boots.

“Actually, I was thinking... I kinda like this room.”

“Hu...” He looked around the room as he rooted around her bag for her pajamas.   
“That would actually be rally nice... “

Before she could change, there was a crash from above them that shook the floor boads.   
They looked at the ceiling for a while before curiosity got the better of them,   
They came back up the stairs to find Mark flat on his back in the middle of the living room.  
Joel leaned over the banister, grinning from ear to ear.  
Robert peaked around him, just as curious as to what happened. 

“Do... we want to know what happened?” David asked Joel, since Mark seemed to have the wind knocked out of him.

Joel shrugged.   
“I said I wanted the tower room. He said we should flip for it.”

David actually fell to his knees he laughed so hard, Lilly almost joining him.

“Not what I meant... I didn't even want it that bad...” Mark whispered, coughing a little.


	26. Ch-ch-ch-changes!

Lilly hadn't told Mom anything.   
She was excited and wanted to tell her face to face.   
All she could do was worry and hope that she would want to move with them. 

They started back in the day,   
the guys sleeping covered in the back,   
so they arrived late in the evening. 

Lilly made a b-line for Mom, hugging her:   
excitement, fear, adrenaline going through her a mile a minute.   
After a moment, Mom pulled her back, searching her eyes. 

“Something happened. Something good. There's a big change coming, isn't there?”

Lilly just shrugged, smiling, as David slipped in her place and hugged Mom.   
“That's a bit of an understatement,” he grinned.

Lilly explained everything sitting at the table with Mom as the guys unloaded the Jeep. 

“So, David and I decided we want to live there. Mark, Robert and Joel also want to move.   
And... there is one more bedroom open, if you want it.”

“Well, you don't think I'm going to stay here while you're all in another state do you?”

Lilly felt the huge weight lifted off her shoulder and David started the first in a series of cheers from the guys, earning them a pound on the wall from the neighbors.   
They couldn't be made to care.   
They would be gone in two weeks, tops. 

And so they were. Lilly ended the rental contract.   
They got a moving truck and proceeded to load it over the next couple days.  
Lilly fell into purging; anything not practical or super sentimental was thrown out.  
They only filled two thirds of the truck by the time she was done.

“New life, new start... New us.”   
She grinned and threw her arms around David when they had loaded the last thing; Davids bike.

“You sure you want to do this? Pick up your whole life? Invite a bunch of vampires into your new home?”

She threw her head back and laughed.   
“Oh, goodness... I had never thought that house could be my home... until I shared it with you guys. You belong there just as much as I do.”  
She held his face in her hands and kissed him.   
“You are my home. As long as I have you and Mom, I'm fine...”

He smirked. “What about the other guys?”  
She shrugged.  
“Of course them. I love them... but I'm not sharing a bed with them.”

They all slept on the floors that night.   
Well, that's what they told Mom, anyway.   
The guys actually spent the day in the closet. 

They sat on the floor, eating Chinese food from takeout boxes as a last hurrah.  
As Mom said goodnight that night, Lilly saw her wink and Joel.   
Lilly looked at her mom, then back at Joel. 

He finally noticed her staring and his eyebrows shot up.   
“What?”

She looked at Mom's now closed door then back at Joel. 

“What was that? The little winky-eyed-in-cahoots thing you two just did?”

He looked around to the other guys on the floor, as if they could explain what Lilly was saying. 

“I have no clue what you're talking about... Mark, do you have the maggots?”

“Na, Lilly's got them.”

Still thinking about her mothers secrecy, she absentminded started handing Joel her takeout box.

“Excuse me; did you just ask for-” She caught sight of the inside of the box squirming.  
She just froze, mouth dropped open in horror.   
They all started laughing, falling over themselves as Lilly looked again at what now appeared to be rice. 

“...I suppose this is what you guys refer to as...” She swallowed to keep the bile down.   
“Suggesting? You just mind controlled me?”

They were mostly down to a low snicker now.  
David had a hand over his mouth as if to hide his grin. 

She swallowed again.  
“I hate you...”

And they all started laughing again.


	27. Mother/Daughter bonding

Mom and Lilly left in the day.   
David had suggested it; a special mother/daughter road trip.   
The guys would follow in the truck at night.   
They even took the cats so Lilly didn't have to worry with them.

And it turned into a lovely trip.   
They took their time,   
stopping at sights and interesting restaurants and spending the night in a hotel. 

“Oooo! They have cheese cake on the menu for room service!” Lilly bobbed her head happily as she set crossed legged on the bed.  
Mom set beside her, flipping through the TV.

“Lilly, you are spoiling me. You gotta slow down on the spending.”

Lilly snorted.   
“You sound like Robert. I am spoiling myself.   
I have never seen so much money in my bank account!  
I had to call Mr. Fischer to make sure there wasn't a mistake. . .  
He laughed at me.” 

Mom laughed too, patting her thigh.   
“Alright, cheese cake it is!”

After cheesecake arrived and enjoyed, Lilly started to think.  
She was extremely grateful to David for the idea.   
For so long it had just been Mom and her.   
Now, with the guys coming in and her relationship with David,   
She wondered if Mom ever felt ignored.

“So... we've never actually talked.”

Mom looked over at her.   
They were under the covers now, an old classic playing on the TV.  
“About?”

Lilly sort of bobbed her head, not meeting her mothers eyes; embarrassed.  
“They boys... David...”

Mom brought her hand up to play with Lilly's hair, fiddling.   
“What about the boys? You know I love them, right?”

Lilly giggled a little, still not looking up.   
“Oh, I know that. But I know I also kinda threw them at you all at once. And the whole thing between me and David. It was so fast and I know I'm being totally selfish with him. I don't even care what people think. I mean, he's hot and looks so much younger then me and he just-...”

Had she said to much? She was rambling and mentioning Davids youthful appearance could be dangerous and-

Mom took her cheek in her hand to lift her head, forcing Lilly to look and her. 

“And he makes you happy. Haven't seen you this happy since Jay.”

Lilly nodded. Her mom finished her sentence, so obviously she understood. 

“Lilly, what conversation do you think you have to have with me about your boyfriend? If you want my blessing, you have it. I don't particularly like you two sleeping in the same bad, despite your insistence nothings happening.”

Lilly snorted, nodding. 

“But... You are an adult. And I can see how fiercely David cares for you. He would protect you to the end of the world. What's there to talk about?”

Lilly took in a deep breath.  
“I just... I don't want you to think just because David, or Robert, or Joel, or Mark, or ANY man comes into my life... That you take second place. You-... It's-” 

She lost it there, unable to keep herself composed.   
Mom kissed her forehead.

“That's what you're worried about? That's why you and David were afraid I wouldn't move with you guys?”

Lilly laughed. “I didn't know David was worried, too!... But yeah,that. That, and I thought you might take the whole, “I'm not setting foot where he lived!” kind of attitude...”

Mom chuckled.  
“I'll set foot in it, if that's where my family is going to live. And the guys are family to us both now.”

Lilly felt like someone squeezed her heart.   
Mom called them family.   
It took her a while to fall asleep that night, happiness and excitement coursing through her body.


	28. Moving

They took their time and what could have been a 8 or so hour trip took three days.  
Lilly felt her heart beat faster the closer they got to the house. 

Mom noticed her excitement, but she didn't mention it.   
She just smiled as they pulled up, the guys waving from the porch.   
She hoped Lilly remembered to put it in park before she jumped out.

But Lilly was patient:   
she even waited and allowed David to open the car door for her.

“The Lady of the house has arrived,” he grinned, offering her a hand and kissing it.   
She slipped out of the seat, closing the door behind her.   
But that was the extent of her resolve.   
She threw herself into David's expectant, happy arms and kissed him. 

Joel went and opened the door for Mom   
and they stood around the hood of the car till Mom cleared her throat. 

Lilly pulled back, clearing her throat, a shade of pink darker in her cheeks.  
David just smiled, no shame. 

“So, you okay taking the left over room Mom? I'm sure Joel would flip you for his room...”

Robert and Mark snorted, Mark trying to cover it as a cough. 

Joel smiled at Mom.

“Actually...”

Mom continued for him.  
“Actually, I'm not living here.”

Lilly's eyes went wide.   
“Really? I thought... You-”

“I'm so glad that your father finally did the right thing by you, and I think you deserve this house. But I'm not living where he lived.”

She placed a hand on Joels back.   
“That's why I asked Joel about the shed.”

She pointed to the large shed beside the house.   
Lilly had cleared it out in the week before the funeral. 

“He moved all my things into it. Should be quite comfortable.”   
She just grinned, as did Joel. 

Lilly smiled as well, but shook her head slowly.   
“I knew you two were in cahoots...”

Mark yelled from the porch, “What the hell are cahoots?”

As Mom walked over to inspect her new 'she shed',   
Lilly yelled to let her know, “I'll call the contractor this week about adding a bathroom!”

“Speaking of contractors...”  
David slid his arms around her from behind, kissing her neck. 

She bit her lip, knowing she had been discovered.   
She looked over her shoulder at him.   
“Did you guys find some... interesting things?”

“When did get someone to black out the bedroom windows?   
And the basement bathroom? It's all amazing.”

He took her inside. The guys bounced around them, there excitement was palpable.   
And entering Lilly could see why.   
The place already looked homier.   
They had taken out everything that was he fathers and stuffed it in the same back room they had stuffed the basement things.   
They had replaced it all with their stuff: the couch, their chairs, lamps.

It was still little bare, but they would fill it out soon enough.   
Lilly let out a little contented sigh and squeezed David's hands still around her waist. 

“Seriously, how did you do the windows and stuff?” Mark asked, dropping sideways in his chair. Robert and Joel followed suit and David pulled her down on the couch with him.

Lilly shrugged.   
“The day we left.   
When you guys were all sleeping in the car.   
I asked Mr. Fischer and he suggested a guy...   
I told them you guys had photo-phobia... extreme light sensitivity.”

Later, Robert and Joel went to take things out of the car and insisted Lilly just relax. 

“Where does this bag go?” Robert asked, bringing in a messenger bag.

'Ooo!” Her arms shot out and she wiggled her fingers towards him   
and he laughed as he brought it to her. 

“Everyone, gather 'round!” she announced as she started to pull out little boxes from the bag.   
They did as she asked, giggling and sitting at her feet like children at story time. 

“I know everyone has been getting on me for spending...” She handed out a box each to them, all similar size and shape.   
“But, I think every one of you will agree that this is a necessity and long over due.”  
She finally nodded, handing the last to David who sat beside her. 

Each of them gasped or grinned as they revealed the phones inside the boxes, each one a bit different. 

“They aren't the newest, but pretty new. And I didn't want to get you the same ones cause I thought you'd be mixing them up all the time... but now that I think of it, you guys can just get different covers... Rambling, sorry. Anyway, they're all on the same plan, unlimited everything...”

She was sort of bouncing, watching their reactions and seeming just as excited as they were.

“Lilly, they're amazing...   
I've never had a phone before...”   
Joel admitted, lovingly caressing his phone. 

Mark laughed, “Dude, you and I have never had our own bedrooms, let along phones!”

David's hand came behind her head, pulling her forehead to his.   
“They're perfect. You're perfect. Thank you, Lilly.”

The boys had retired to their rooms.   
It was nearing dawn and David was tired but refused to go to bed.   
He tugged Lilly up out of the couch, grabbing a blanket out of an open box.

“Don't you need to get to sleep, M'love?”  
She smiled, tired herself and following him easily. 

He shrugged as he pulled her through the kitchen and out the door to the side yard.   
It was a lovely yard, fenced in with a low white fence and surrounded by trees on all sides.   
There was also the path let eventually lead down the cliff to the beach.

David sat on the steps to the porch, pulling the blanket around himself.   
He opened one arm, an invitation for her to join him.   
She chuckled and came down the steps, letting him wrap his arm around her with the blanket.   
He kissed the side of her head. 

The yard was covered in a dark blue light, getting lighter all the time as the sun threatened to rise.   
The sound of the ocean was ever present in the background, as well as local birds just waking.

She laid her head on his shoulder and he leaned his head against hers, kissing it.  
He sighed.   
“I could definitely get used to this...”

And so, their life in Oregon began.


	29. Trigger warning

It wasn't long before a second couch arrived at the house from a local thrift shop.   
Lilly loved the thrift shops and found lamps and rugs and cushions to fill the negative space in the large living room.   
Lilly and David were laying across the new couch that night, testing it as the guys 'argued' about what movie to watch. 

“Not Salem's Lot, 'kay?”  
It shocked David.   
She was usually up to showing them every vampire movie ever made, from Nosferatu to forcing them to watch the Twilight movies.   
Now, with this one vampire film, she was reluctant. 

“Okay? Why?”

Lilly shrugged as if she didn't want to talk about it now.   
He nudged her.

“David... Trigger warning. Just don't watch it...”

“What the hell does trigger warning mean? Lilly, you're being silly.”

“A trigger warning is a warning given when something in the content might trigger a panic attack or anxiety to the viewer. We're not watching it.”

He laughed at her. “I've seen dozens of vampire movies, seen them get staked, drowned, burned and killed every way. What could possibly-”

“A guy gets thrown up against a wall of antlers!!   
Not even a vampire, but he gets thrown on a wall of antlers...”  
She blurted out, wincing. 

David tried to say something,   
but his mouth just opened; no sound.   
He couldn't stop the cold chill that ran down his back and the heaviness in his chest. 

“Gotcha...” he whispered, low and gruff.   
“Trigger warning. G-good to know.”


	30. Fun

Lilly didn't pry into their vampire affairs.   
She knew they didn't kill and if they wanted to share more then that, they could tell her.  
So she never knew if when they went out it was to hunt or just thrill seeking. 

But David pulled her aside to the kitchen one night to talk. 

“I think it would be best if... maybe half the time? We left Riverbend to feed.”

She was shocked into silence for a minute.   
To say she wasn't used to being a part of their vampire decision making was a major understatement.   
“Oh?”  
Was all she could think to ask when she finally did speak. 

He half huffed, half chuckled.   
“We would probably go just a couple towns over, that little tourist town?   
Lots of people just passing through, wont remember faces or where they saw them.   
I think it's safest for all.”

She nodded. It sounded great. Why was he asking her?

“And you need... my permission?”

They both grinned, Lilly in confusion, David at her. 

“I'm just letting you know. I could do some work on bikes while we're gone.   
We would probably stay overnight when we go out. You'd be okay with that?”

She scoffed, “Oh, yeah! You guys do what you need to do, Love.”

He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly and leaning in to kiss her. 

When he slowly pulled away, she slowly opened her eyes.  
“Never mind. Changed my mind; you're never allowed to leave.”

Lilly came home looking extremely pleased.   
In her arms she carried a white box looking thing   
and a bunch of smaller white and black rectangles.   
She didn't say anything to them, just started hooking it up to the TV.

The guys had been spread around the room involved in their own activities.  
Now, they started to move in, watching her curiously.   
She turned on the TV and turned on the thin box.  
She made a little triumphant sound, bouncing and handing out the smaller box thingys to Mark, Joel and Robert. 

“What, I don't get one?”   
David poked her side. 

“No. I get to play first. Then, whoever loses you can take their remote.”

Mark turned his over in his hand, “Are they supposed to do something?”

Lilly took his and looked at it.   
“Shoot. Batteries!”

She shot up, running to the kitchen and returned with a handful of batteries and sat again on the floor to fix the remotes.   
Tudball slinked up to her and crawled on her lap as she worked intensely,   
not only getting the batteries in but syncing them up to the game machine as well.  
David came behind her, legs on either side, to watch over her shoulder. 

As each was finished, she handed it back to the guys who then sat on the floor with her in front of the TV.

“Alright, all I have right now is Mario Kart. You guys ready?”

They weren't sure in they were, but they jumped in anyway.   
It took a minute to figure out how the remotes work and then how the controls worked for the game. Mark managed to beat out Robert for first, Joel a respectable fifth place.  
And despite her enthusiasm, Lilly came in almost dead last against the A.I.'s.

David rolled onto his back laughing. 

She stuck her tongue out at him and refused to let him have the next round.   
Insisted she just needed one more round. 

It didn't help.   
She finally handed over her remote, pretending to pout.   
He traded it for a kiss, and ended up almost second place. 

She hid her blushing face in her hands.   
“It's my Wii! Why is everyone better at it then me?!?”   
She cried out, but laughed with the rest of them.


	31. Brutal

“Well, the recipe calls for thighs, but all we have is a whole chicken,”   
Joel was complaining to Robert.   
Lilly had just walked into the kitchen for soda.

“Oh, here...” She came beside him, grabbing the knife he left on the counter. 

“First, cut the skin a little. Then...” She pulled on the leg and they could it pop.  
“Find the joint and pop it. That will tell you where to cut.”

She easily sliced the thigh from the rest of the chicken,   
showing the joint she had just cracked with her hands. 

She took the leg quarter and between her hands and ripped the thigh joint from the leg and again sliced through it cleanly. 

“Same with the back and the breast; it will tell you where it should be cut-   
WHY are you all staring at me like that!?!”

She realized not only Joel and Robert were at the island staring,   
but Mark and David had come in as well,   
all looking at her with slightly horrified expressions. 

“It's just...” Robert tried to start.

“You're so brutal... The snapping and the...” Mark concluded with a shudder.

Her eyebrows lifted.   
“Really? YOU guys are squeamish?”

“Hey, we may be vampires, but we don't expect this level of savagery from you,” David defended. 

Joel looked right into her eyes, haunted.  
“You work with animals...”

She finally laughed.   
"I've actually used this to help reset joints, not brutalize animals, Joel!   
But I learned this because mom used to be a butcher.   
She was one of those 'Jack of all trades' kinds. She's done everything.”

They were still looking between her and the half butchered chicken in awe.


	32. Tongue Tied

David had turned away from her, needing at calm down a minute.   
They had been fighting, again. 

The guys found they were almost used to at least a weekly melt down from one of them.   
From their observance in this blowout, David really did seem to be unreasonable. 

Lilly was so angry. She never hit, she never threw things, she never slammed doors.   
It just ind of built up inside her till she usually cried in frustration. 

Today was a little different in her choice of outlet.   
His back was still towards her and she raised her fists to her face.   
She dropped them quickly and her tongue jutted out. 

Mark saw and laughed so hard he distracted her.  
She glared at him, tongue still out when David turned back around to see what was so funny. 

He snorted too and she turned to look at him.  
Then her eyes got really big when she realized her tongue was still sticking out.   
She brought it back but the damage was already done; they had all seen it. 

“Lilly? Are you tongue tied?” Robert asked.

She sighed, bobbing her head back and forth and looking up, as if she didn't want to give a definitive. 

“What's that?” Joel questioned.   
“I thought it was just when you stumbled over words.   
Is that why your tongue is round and not pointy?”

Lilly shrugged, “You know that little bit of skin that attaches your tongue to your jaw?”

She had to smirk as she saw Mark reach into his own mouth to feel what she was talking about. 

“Mine is about twice as long as other peoples.   
I was lucky. My brother Martin apparently couldn't talk right.   
They had to snip it.”

The argument long forgotten, David stared at her in wonder. 

“I've been kissing you for years and I never noticed.”

Lilly snorted, rolling her eyes.   
“Well, it's a little hard to look at it when it's inside your mouth...”

Mark and Joel proceeded to make gagging noises.


	33. Perfect(?) family

She had said she would buy them all new bikes when she first came into her money.   
They had talked her out of it.   
So, she ended up buying them fixer uppers. 

They were just as excited as if they were brand new. 

David had, with Lillys blessing, turned a shed in the back to his garage.  
After three nights with David in the garage,   
they were were racing their bikes all over the beach. 

David couldn't help but thing of Marco, Paul, Dwayne.  
It was bitter sweet.   
He supposed he would never totally get over their loss.

Every day though he connected a little more with Robert, Mark and Joel.   
They were safe, they were close.  
They were practically the perfect family unit.

Lilly insisted they take her Jeep when headed out a couple towns over to hunt. 

“At least you guys will have a safe place to sleep while you're gone.   
Give me some peace of mind!”

“And what will you do, Lilly? Just stay home the next three days?”

She giggled a little. “gives me a chance to try out the Jag...”

“...Oh, yeah. Forgot you had that.”

When they got back, Lilly helped them unload the Jeep. 

“Aw, my Cullens are back!” She giggled. 

David had stuck his head in the car, then pulled it out to raise an eyebrow at her.  
“Your what?”

“Cullen's...” She smirked. 

David looked to Mark to explain. Mark rolled his eyes.

“Stupid 'Twilight' vampires... She's got a point.”

David turned back to Lilly. He wasn't exactly mad, but he certainly wasn't happy.   
She laughed at the look on his face. 

“Oh, come on! An adopted 'family' of vampires, you now live in the great north west, and you just took the boys 'camping'... You are totally the Cullens.”

His hands full with bags, he still stalked over to her for a kiss.   
He didn't say anything, couldn't.   
She was right.   
And it pissed him off. 

She stood by the jeep, just watching them through the houses open front door.   
They were laughing, just being themselves.  
She had missed them and now felt more settled to have them home.

She turned around to close the back of the Jeep and almost screamed.   
She never heard him coming, he just sort of appeared. 

He stared at her, his yellow eyes glowing.   
His mouth was open slightly and she could just see the hit of fangs.   
His face and shirt were covered in blood; some fresh, some old and dried.

She didn't dare move.   
She was ready to scream for David if the vampire in front of her moved. 

He did, but not like she expected.   
His face morphed back to human.  
The eyes went from yellow to blue green and his skin was quite dark. 

He looked at her, wide eyes scared and haunted. 

“Please... help...” he whispered, so light she almost didn't hear it. 

She thought at first he was lunging for her, but he was just falling to the ground.   
She quickly reached out for him, screaming to the house. 

The others were there, flying to her side. 

“Wh-” David reached out to help her support him, looking at the blood now all over Lilly as well.

“I don't know. He was just here and said help. It's not my blood and I'm pretty sure it's all his...”

Between the three guys, they lifted him easily and took him into the house and up to the spare bedroom.

Lilly rushed to get rags and hot water.  
Once she was able to clean him a bit, they were sure it was his blood. 

“It looks like an animal attacked him,” Robert reported, looking over his neck and arms. 

“”Or a vampire,” Mark offered, coming into the room with some spare cloths. 

“But he is a vampire,” Lilly explained. She lifted off his shirt completely to reveal more injuries.   
“His face was morphed when I first saw him. He shifted in front of me.”

The guys looked to each other at this news.

Finally, David just shook his head. 

“That doesn't mean it wasn't another vampire.   
Turf war, fighting over food, coven kicked him out.   
It doesn't matter.   
Right now, he needs rest and blood.”

Lilly tossed the bloody shirt and several rags in a heap by the door.   
Then, she sat on the bed by the strangers head. 

“I think I can manage that.”

As she reached her wrist over his mouth, David grabbed it.  
Perhaps a little harder then he intended.

“No, you will not. Not you.”

She scoffed, rolling her eyes.   
“Are you actually jealous? David-”

“It's not that!” He bared back at her.

“Lilly, it's really not.” Robert assured her.   
Grabbing her shoulders he gently urged her off the bed.   
David still had hold of her wrist, unwilling to let go. 

“What David means is that we know nothing of this guy.   
Vampires who don't kill? We don't know if they exist outside this room and...   
and if you were to try to let him feed,   
he would probably drain you without knowing he did anything wrong. “

She had been looking down at his hand tight around her wrist.   
Now, she looked up to his face.   
It wasn't the anger or jealousy she imagined.   
There was fear there. 

She put her free hand over his that held her.   
“I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. It's okay, David..."

He shook his head quickly as if to clear it.   
He looked down to their hands and relaxed his grip.

“David?”  
Robert was now where Lilly had been, sitting on the bed with his wrist over the stranger. 

“It would be best if it were you and I. We are the oldest, the strongest blood. If we take turns, it should be plenty to have healing effect.”

David nodded, lifting Lilly's had to kiss it, before moving to Robert.   
Robert nodded to Joel and Mark as well.

“If you guys could stand at the ready in case we have to pull him off?”

Robert let his hand morph to vampire,   
his nails growing sharp as razors, and cut into his wrist. 

Then, he held it over the passed out strangers mouth. 

The reaction was immediate; his eyes shot open and he gasped. 

Robert shushed him and rubbed the strangers shoulder with his free hand. 

“It's okay. We're going to help,” Robert soothed.   
“Have you ever drank another vampires blood?” 

Eyes still wide and frightened, the stranger shook his head. 

“Okay, well it's going to help you heal some. We're hoping enough to get you out to feed normal tomorrow. Okay?”

He nodded, finally seeming at ease enough to latch on to Roberts wrist. 

“My name is Robert. We all live here...”  
He continued speaking, softly, just calming chatter. 

Soon, the stranger let go himself.   
His breathing was labored but he seemed much more relaxed.   
Robert smiled at him kindly and rubbed his shoulder again. 

David also gave him blood. 

Once they deemed him to be okay for the night,   
Lilly left to let them help him change into the clothes Mark had brought.

It took a minute, but Robert frowned once he realized.   
“Mark? Are these my pajamas? Did you go into my room?”

Mark shrugged. “They looked like they'd fit him! I'm too short!”

They all laughed, even the stranger grinned and huffed a little. 

“Thank you, Robert... all of you... for everything...” and then the stranger was asleep.


	34. Stranger

They spent the night wondering, curious for answers.   
Until he woke up, however, all they could do was wonder. 

They all sat in the living room, spread across their claimed chairs. 

David sat on the couch and had pulled Lilly to sit in his lap.   
“You know, I-” If David were capable of blushing, he might have.  
“I realize it sounds strange, but I used to keep a wine bottle full of blood.   
It might not be a bad idea to keep some around.”

Lilly couldn't help the raise of her eyebrows.  
“I mean... I get it but... a bottle of blood in the house?”

“Wouldn't have to be a full bottle!” David laughed. 

Robert nodded in agreement.   
“We could find a small vial. Just a bit.   
If you had been alone Lilly, it might have saved your life.   
David's blood is powerful...”

So, reluctantly, Lilly agreed.

They never received the answers they wanted. 

The next night, when their visitor had risen,   
he came slowly down the stairs, greeting them all with a shy nod. 

They all stood and Robert took it upon himself to make the introductions.   
He moved to the bottom of the staircase. 

“Hello... I'm Robert. Do you remember?”

They weren't sure if his eyes were wide from lingering fear or if they were just large.   
He smiled, nodding a little. 

“Good... and David?”  
Another nod, to Roberts question and to David.

“The woman you first met is Lilly, the red head is Joel, and the little one of Mark.”

He nodded to each of them, and even giggled with them when Mark lamented.

“When did I get to be known as 'the little one'?!”

Robert turned back to the stairs, to the stranger.   
“You look much better. And your name?”

His smile fell and his eyes darted around the room. 

“I-... I just- I'm sorry.”   
He dropped, sitting on the steps as his breath sped up.   
Robert was beside him instantly and the others rushed to the bottom of the stairs.   
They didn't go any farther, not wanting to overwhelm him. 

He seemed to allow Roberts arm around his shoulder.  
Maybe he just didn't notice.   
He rested his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands. 

“I don't know. I just don't know. I was running.   
Running through the woods. I don't know why. Just had to move, to get away...”

Lilly sat on the bottom step, running her hand over his leg.  
“It's okay. Just breath, slowly, in and out,”

She breathed with him a couple times, slowly, and it seemed to help.  
He seemed to notice everyone's concern and Roberts arm over him.   
Though a little embarrassed, he didn't stop them or move them. 

“I think... the only things I can remember- … James.”  
He shuddered as soon as he said it.

“No. It sounds wrong. It must be Nickolas. It's the only other thing I remember.”

Robert nodded with a grin.   
“Well, at least until you think of anything else, is it okay if we call you that?”

Nickolas nodded, smile almost returning.  
“Are... are you all vampires, too? I swear I smell human.”

They all laughed and Lilly hung her head as she raised her hand.   
That got him laughing as well. 

They took Nickolas down to the beach, hoping it would have a calming effect.  
They lit their customary bonfire and played in the water though it was still quite cold.

David and Nickolas sat by the fire and watched as Mark and Robert tried to pull Joel completely into the water and Lilly splashed all of them as much as possible.

Nickolas watched, eyes ever wide, grinning in wonder.  
David stopped watching them in the water to watch Nickolas.

"I'm guessing whatever you had before, you've never seen this."

Nickolas slowly shook his head, slowly dropping it.

"All I can remember is fear and anger..."

David slowly reached to put a hand on his shoulder, fully expecting when Nickolas jumped and prepared to remove it if requested.

"We've never regretted taking someone in.   
Lilly seems to attract bloodsuckers... You could stay if you decide you like it."

David was surprised when Nick leaned over closer to him, causing his arm to lay across his back.  
He wasn't sure if it was a conscious movement or if Nicolas was just so touch starved. 

"We have only one rule...   
Well, a couple small ones, but one big rule.   
When we hunt, we never kill.   
It will take some time and training, but I've taught them,   
and I'm sure they are more then willing to help you, too."

"I'd like to try..."

That made David smile.

" Is she your wife? Lilly..."

"No... She's my... Everything. She calls us partners. I kinda like it.."

Robert stuck close with him the next couple days,   
His background in psychology helping to calm Nickolas. 

For many weeks he still looked around whatever room he was in,   
eyes always seeming to search for a way out if needed. 

David was also stayed close, especially when learning their no kill way of hunting.   
The first time seemed easy, effortless. 

The second time, David was watching at a slight distance.   
He heard the prey moaning and for a moment thought Nickolas was giving them very pleasant 'suggestions'.  
But he looked over his shoulder and realized they were pale and attempting to fight Nickolas off. 

David charged it, pulling at Nickolas and trying as hard as he could do disengage him without further injury.   
More then once David had to physically pull Nickolas off of a victim. 

Everyone was patient, helped where they could, but worried. 

Three months after arriving, he finally fed without incident.   
He would be lying if he said he wasn't a little proud of himself.  
But neither David or Robert said anything.

It wasn't till they got back to the house.   
Nickolas realized they must have texted Lilly because the kitchen looked like a new years party.  
Food everywhere, streamers, music, and a banner.   
It read, “Welcome Home”.

He grinned as well as cried.   
He really wanted it to be home.


	35. Mirrors

“You've hot something on you're chin, Mark,” Joel indicated on his own chin. 

Mark tried to rub at it but just missed.   
He went into the bathroom, looked in the mirror, and was able to get it.   
Then, he just spaced out for a moment. 

He came back into the kitchen with a dazed look on his face. 

“Hey, anyone else realize we can see ourselves in the mirror?”

All the vampires took a collected gasp in.   
Lilly laughed at them all. 

“Oh, that. I figured you guys are affected by silver, right?”

David nodded, slowly. 

“Well, mirrors are reflective because they are backed with silver.   
At least, they were till the mid 60's I think?   
Anyway, they use nickle now and I made sure when they blacked   
out the windows and all they put in brand new mirrors.   
No silver in this house.”

She grinned, proud of herself and happy over the looks of awe on their faces.


	36. Rage

Everyone felt the argument starting, but they weren't sure what to do about it.

Lilly just seemed to be picking on David.  
Little things all day.

And he was starting to get impatient. His jaw set forward unconsciously, unable to keep quiet.

"Lilly, knock it off. I swear, you're just trying to make me angry..."

"Of course she is," Mom told him matter of factly.

Everyone, including Lilly, turned to her with eyes practically falling out of their sockets.  
She realized everyone was looking at her. Lowered the bit of pottery she was working on to study them all in return.

"No one figured it out yet? Lilly likes David when he's mad. She thinks it's hot and he does that thing with his lower jaw juts out a bit..."

It was silent, all but Lilly's sharp intake of breath.

David turned to her, but she wouldn't meet his eye.  
Now that Mom mentioned his angry jaw he felt himself do it.

"... Is that right?"

Lilly looked away, turning a fetching color of pink.  
"Maybe... Sometimes..."

He leaned in, whispering in her ear so Mom couldn't hear. It was also low and close enough it made Lilly shiver.

"Your dumbass really thinks it's smart to piss of a vampire because you think it's hot?"

She snorted, covering her mouth with her hand.

She finally turned to him, redder still.  
“Never said I was smart...   
Just hoping I'm cute enough to get away with it?”


	37. Photographs

She was getting ready for bed when she noticed it.  
She lifted the box off the dresser.   
It was pretty heavy, measuring probably a foot by all ways.  
It was black and had a simple closure on it.   
She didn't remember ever seeing it before. Strange given it was quite large. 

It was probably David's.   
She thought about opening it, then shook her head and just put it back.   
Maybe she would ask him later. 

“You can open it.”

She jumped and gasped and turned to glare at David.   
He grinned at her from where he had been watching her,   
leaning against the stair railing. 

“I mean it; you can open it.”

She squinted at him, but opened the black box.

There were papers, typed and hand written documents.   
She smiled, recognizing Davids handwriting. 

However, she was instantly lead to the photographs in the very front.   
She pulled them out carefully and sank to the floor where she could lay them out. 

“Oh, goodness... are these...?”

He nodded, sitting down on the floor with her, 

“You look... different.” She cocked her head to the side and studied the photo.

He snorted, hiding his face in her shoulder.   
“Could be the mullet...”

She giggled with him, but continued to look at the picture.   
“The hair may have something to do with it... but its so strange. You do look older now... maybe its wisdom... or compassion... without aging, you seem older.”

He huffed out a laugh, not ready to say yet how much that pleased him.

“Think you can figure out who's who?”

She looked over the pictures. Some were in color and others in black and white.   
Some had smiles and crazy hair, some were a little more sinister. 

It was one of these she started with.   
The man in it had long dark hair and stony hazel eyes, as well as the lower half of his face being covered in blood. 

“Hmmm... The strong, silent protector of the group. Is it Dwayne, fresh from the hunt?”

He nodded slowly with a half smile, looking down to the photo in her hand. 

She hummed happily.   
“He's lovely. Native American?”

His eyebrows knit together, though he still grinned.   
“You know? He never actually said.   
None of us talked about our past.   
Everything was just in the moment.”

She leaned her head against his on her shoulder as she continued through the pictures. 

“Ooo... He seems to be pretty cozy with the beautiful blonde.   
Holy shit! 80's hair bands would be jealous over that lions mane!... better then a mullet, anyway.”

They both laughed for a while over that.   
He reached over to touch their faces and Lilly realized he was crying with the laughter. 

“Paul was the last guy who came to the group.   
He was... crazy, in the best way.   
Music always playing in her head.   
Dwayne was the exact opposite. Silent protector, like you said.   
And he was the balance Paul needed.”

He pulled up another picture and Lilly gasped.   
“Wow! He looks like a Greek statue... so beautiful...”

David grinned, “And boy did he know it.   
Marko never had to attack anyone: they would gladly have just given their blood to him if he asked.   
He was... my first. Max let me turn him myself.”

She leaned in to wipe the tears running down his cheeks, kissing his forehead.  
His hand moved over the pictures,   
spreading them out and smiling a little differently at each story they told.

Them on their bikes, them wrestling, laughing.   
“Not a day goes by I don't think of them.   
It wasn't till I met Mark, Joel... You...   
That was when I started to forgive myself for their deaths.”

She smiled, knowingly.   
“Some days, you're fine. Other days it hits you so hard and you don't think you'll ever recover.”

He looked up at her, shocked.   
Then he remembered her Jay, and how no one understood his loss like she did. 

“The pain is different as time goes on,” She continued.  
“But you'll never fully be rid of it. And that's fine.”

He lunged up and kissed her and she sighed into it.   
She held his face in her hands as he pulled away. 

“Thank you, David, for sharing this with me. Sharing them with me.”


	38. Lets do it

Mom was introduced to Nickolas and it was as if he was always meant to be there.   
The end of September came and they were all on the beach. 

Joel, Robert, and Nick were wading up to their knees in the surf.

Mom and Mark sat on the log they had pulled up to the fire pit.   
She was teaching him something new on the guitar.  
Lilly and David picked up that it was in ¾ time.

David grinned and pulled Lilly to waltz with him in the sand.  
She laid her head against his chest,   
listening to his heartbeat, the guys laughing in the sand, the guitars playing.

“Perfect night...” She sighed. 

“Hmmmm... almost,” David admitted. 

She snorted and lifted her head to look at him.  
“Really? What could possible make this setting any more perfect?”

He shrugged.   
“Oh, I don't know... maybe making you a wife.”

It shocked her.  
She didn't know how to react, if she should laugh or not.

"oh? Really..."

He gave no indication he was joking.  
He just nodded towards Mom.

"I think so, don't you Mom?"

"About damn time!" She agreed and David laughed since she wasn't one for cursing.

She watched them now, listening more intently. Mark had got the song down now.

"Is that... Metallica?"  
She now realized it was 'Nothing else matters', one of her and Davids favorites.

He smirked, tilting his head towards Joel, Robert and Nick and letting go of her so she could turn to see the.

All three had their phones out, taking pictures or...

" Are they filming... Us?"  
She had turned back to David to find him down on one knee in the sand.

The music, the beach at night, everyone there she loved. It couldn't be more perfect.

He took her hand and slid a small, silver ring on her finger.

"I've waited for you my whole life Lilly.  
I want to make it permanent. Will you take me?"

She ran her free hand through his hair and his smirk was gone, replaced by a honest smile.

"Oh, yes. Yes, please!"

Dispute the audio on there phones being ruined, the guys all cheered and yelled.  
Mark lost the melody but Mom kept going and smiling.

David rose and wrapped his arms around her, leaning their heads together.

She giggled, giddy.  
"But... Am I taking your last name? I don't know what your last name is!"

He shrugged.  
"I could always take your name, if you want."

She smiled, but shook her head.

"I took Jay's last name and became Mrs. Haim. That time has passed. I'm ready for change."

He kissed her forehead, then her nose.

"Brooke..."

It took her a minute to realize he was giving her his name.

"Brooke... David Brooke. David and Lilly Brooke. Oh, I like the sound of that!"

"Me too..."


	39. Faces, Vows, and Dates

“What's that?” Joel had popped up behind the couch, looking over Lilly's shoulder.

She quickly pulled the notebook to her chest.   
Her eyes were wide and she was silent for a whole minute.   
All the guys looked at her, no interested because of her reaction.

“It's... It's a sketchbook...”

Joel's looked at her, waiting for more.  
The mischief in his eyes was clear. 

Lilly sighed,  
“Okay, When Jay and I were in college, he was actually an art student.   
He talked me into taking drawing and ceramics with him.   
I will never be the artist he was, but I... dabble.”

He looked to her, looked to the sketchbook, then back to her.   
She realized Mark, Robert, and Nick were also closing in on her   
and she let out a groan to the ceiling.

“Okay, Okay! Just know...  
when an artist lets you look at their work they are basically bearing their soul to you.  
Its something they put their time and energy into and its...  
It's very personal.”

There was no more teasing in their looks as Joel took the sketchbook and the other three crowded around him.

The first couple pages were just studies; things around the house, lamps, shoes, ect.

But further on, there were faces, portraits of varying degrees of detail and finished.

Mark inhaled, eyes widening.  
“Its us!”

Lilly secretly let out a sigh of relief.   
She obviously wasn't an awful artist if they could recognize their own faces in her work. 

They all looked up at her, then back to the pages. 

“Personal... bearing your soul...”  
Nick whispered with a dazed smile. 

They came to the end of them and continued to praise her till she blushed. 

“But... there's none of David...?”  
Robert pointed out. 

Lilly groaned again, pulling a pillow over her face. 

“You have no idea how many pages I have ripped out.   
I can't get him right! His mouth, it drives me crazy!   
It arches and the little squiggle in the corner, it doesn't turn up or down, it does both!   
His eyes just...” 

Then she realized David had walked into the room, smirking.  
“Squiggle?”

She turned ever brighter red and slowly pulled the pillow the pillow back over her face.   
“Shut up...”

“I've been thinking... About vows...”

She didn't up at him from her sketching.   
He had agreed to sit for her so she wasn't struggling to sketch him without him catching her.   
She still wasn't having much success.

“What about them?” She asked, erasing yet again.

“Well, I'm pretty sure the tradition is, “till death do us part...”

“Uh-hu....oh... OH!”  
She finally looked up.   
“Is that a... is it like a legal matter to have it in?”

He chuckled, “Thought maybe you would know since you're the only one between us that's actually been married before.” 

“Oh, goodness... How can we even get a marriage license? You need I.D!”

She continued to fret, lost in her own world of worry, as he got off the couch and went to the basement bedroom.

“Maybe we can just do a private ceremony, not really official. I mean, I don't even know the legal ramifications of marrying the undead... Would it be like a Posthumous thing?”

He sat on the floor in front of her, his black box open in his lap.  
He handed her a few items. 

She looked down at them blankly for a moment before actually focusing on them. 

“Is this... Your birth certificate? You have your social security card? YOU GOT AN OREGON DRIVERS LICENSE!”   
She shouted and laughed, slipping off her chair and onto the floor with him. 

He shrugged, grinning.   
“I've always carried this box. It basically has my life. And when we moved up here, I thought I'd better get a new I.D. It was fun when they looked at the date of birth.”

So they both sat there on the floor laughing. 

They introduced Nickolas to their love of late night diners.   
He admitted to Robert that it terrified him to be around so many humans so openly.  
But it also felt good, made him feel more normal. 

They had just gotten their food to the table when Joel asked,  
“So, you guys set a date yet?”

Lilly rolled her eyes.   
“Well, David wants to do it Halloween night.”

He grinned, as if still proud despite Lilly's reluctance. 

Mark shrugged, “Why not? Kinda romantic for a vampire, isn't it?”

“You mean cliché? I don't know...” Lilly still wrinkled her nose at the idea.

“November 1st,” Nick blurted out.   
They all looked at him, causing him to duck his head a little in reflex.   
He took a breath and raised it again, unsure of what in his past made him wary. 

“The day after Halloween, November 1st... All Saints Day...”

Lilly quickly looked to David to gauge his reaction. 

He was nodding his head, smiling.   
He then turned to her. 

“Is it a date?”


	40. Mistakes... and Faith

“You could just tell me instead of ignoring me; this stupid silent treatment!”  
He yelled to her back, since she wouldn't look at him.

“And you could figure out why I'm mad since I've told you time and time again I hate when you do it!”  
She yelled back.

He growled, looking away. Not just because he was mad, but because she had a point.   
He had done it and not cared about her in the moment. 

“I'm just-... Lilly, I'm sorry.”

She sniffed and he realized the reason she wouldn't face him is because she was crying.   
“And I'm sorry I don't handle things well.”

He wrapped his arms around her waist and nudged against her ear.   
He kissed it, making her shiver and giggle.   
He kissed behind her ear, making his way down. 

Before he shouted, jumping back.   
It scared her just as much and she turned with a jump to look at him holding his mouth. 

“Lilly!! Are you wearing silver?!” 

She looked confused, then her eyes got really wide.   
“N-no... oh, no. It's...”

She pulled out the necklace from under her collar.   
A small gold chain and at the end of it, a small gold cross. 

“I'm so sorry. I forgot! I put it on this morning when I was still mad...”

He pulled his hand away from his mouth. It was a small burn with a little blood, but it was definitely there and painful.  
He looked at her, shaking his head, and walked away. 

“David, you have every right to be mad... but I didn't even know it would work!” 

Hours later, when David had cooled down and Lilly had taken off the necklace,   
they sat together on the living room floor in front of the lit fire. 

“So... I hate to ask, but... the cross? Holy water does the same I imagine.”

He just hummed slightly, head drooping on her shoulder. 

“So... you guys are damned?”

There was no reply, only his arms wrapping around her tighter. 

“David, I'm sorry.   
I just didn't think of it before.   
I never asked about your beliefs and... I'm sorry.”

“No, don't be. I've thought about it a lot, especially in recent years.”

They said nothing for a long time, just listened to the clock ticking,   
the fire crackling,   
the guys grunting and wrestling in the distance. 

David took a deep breath. 

“I... Know there has to be someone out there, an intelligent Creator.  
And... I have no way of knowing, but I like to think ...   
Even though we may be cursed in this life, our faith and our persistence to do right will see us delivered when we do pass.” 

She was crying again and he held her through it, crying a little himself. 

The guys came in, all noise and energy.   
Then, seeing them together in front of the fire, they quietly slipped into the kitchen.


	41. Haunted

“Lilly! Lilly, we have to do it! We have to get in somehow!”  
Joel and Mark had accosted her as soon as she walked into the kitchen. 

They laid down the newspaper on the island for her and excitedly pointed to the add, though in their excitement, then ended up obscuring what they were trying to show her. 

She finally got them to calm down enough to read it. 

“A haunted house?” She wasn't sure if that was what the fuss was or not. 

“YEAH! Remember how people thought we were so cool and freaky the year we just went out as vampires? We could do that here and its a charity!”

She laughed and had to assure them she wasn't making fun of them.   
It actually made wonderful sense and made her giddy. 

“David! Mark and Joel have an awesome idea!”

So, Lilly made the arrangements; she met with the head of the haunted house and explained their vampire lair idea.   
Mary was more then thrilled.   
She explained it was harder and harder to find adult haunters, especially on Halloween night. 

Lilly cringed. “Well, actually... we can help this weekend and next but Halloween is actually the day before my wedding.”

Mary assured her that was fine, excited at the idea of a spooky wedding.   
“Oh, you have no idea...”

During the week before the haunt, Lilly got to decorate their 'lair'.   
Mary had given them the last room in the house and free reign.

Using Davids photos, she had managed to recreate the feel   
of the cave in Santa Carla, if not the actual location. 

They were the hit of the House.   
All the teens gathered around Mark and Joel,   
fawning over them despite their cruel aminalistic faces. 

Lilly was quite impressed with a lot of the teens makeup since they actually used makeup. 

Lilly herself the first night had played a screaming victim.   
It worked, but she really wanted to play with the boys. 

So, she tried her best, and come pretty close,   
to copying the boys vampire look using latex and a really good pair of contacts.

When she first presented herself, David couldn't hide his smirk. 

“It... suits you.”

She rolled her eyes with a grin. 

Everyone had a blast and Mary let them know they were welcome every year.

Halloween night came with extra excitement.   
Each of them had picked an Anne Rice book Vampire and emulated them.  
Mark chose Armand  
Joel, Daniel  
Robert was Marius and Nickolas as Khayman  
and Mom Anne rice herself, carrying around a book. 

David and Lilly had chosen Lestat and Louis.  
Lilly and her mother had worked on the costumes for weeks, even getting the guys to help.   
They hit the town and the whole city had made a harvest carnival. Rides, games, booths of all kinds. 

No one in the town really understood who they were,   
just that they were dressed extremely fancy.   
They found a photo booth and all tried to squish into it,   
David made himself comfortable on Lilly's lap,   
Mark and Joel on their knees on floor,   
Mom, Robert, and Nickolas squished in where they could.   
And even if they fit well enough for a good picture, they ruined it by laughing.   
But, David was very happy with the new pictures to add to his collection.

Half way through the night, the guys said their farewells to Lilly and her Mom.   
They were taking Lilly's car to go to the next city. 

David held her close as the other guys piled in the jeep. 

“Next time we see each other, we'll be saying 'I do'.”

She pulled away to grin at him.   
“Sure you still want to go through with it?”

His head fell back and he laughed.   
“More sure then I've been of anything in my life.”

He kissed her and the guys all made noise, hollering and cheering till Lilly blushed.   
David rolled his eyes, kissed her quickly again, and then was off.

Lilly watched them drive off and Mom came up beside her. 

“Are you sure you want to go through with it?”  
Mom teased. 

“More then I've been of anything in my life...   
Do you think... Jay would have liked David?”

Mom stood with her, watching the Jeep fade out of sight. 

“You know, I really don't think so...”

Lilly looked over at her and snorted.   
“I don't think so either!”


	42. What a beautiful Wedding

Lilly and Mom spent the next day together.  
It was lovely, but Lilly couldn't help thinking David had it easy.   
He would only be up a couple hours to be excited; she had to deal with it the whole day.

But, it was a good jittery. Mom noticed her practically bouncing whatever they did.  
Mom also noticed how funny Lilly was when it came to spending money.

She could have paid for a custom gown weeks ago.   
Instead, they spent the afternoon in second hand shops,   
not even looking at what would be described as wedding dresses. 

But Lilly knew what she wanted the minute she put it on.  
Mom agreed.  
They went to florist and picked out enough flowers for a bouquet and some for her and Mom's hair.  
She picked out little gifts for all the guys, a bracelet for Mom she didn't bother waiting to give her.

The rest of the day was spent picking up food.   
It was the one thing Lilly insisted actually spending money on. 

She and Mom set it all up in the house, ready for the reception.   
Then, Mom helped her dress and fix her hair; curled, then piled on top of her head like something vaguely Greek... if it wasn't blue.

Mom put the last flower in her hair when Lilly's phone went off.   
David texting. 

Ready for the rest of our lives?

She felt fluttering all through her body, giddy and maybe a little overwhelmed. 

Absolutely

was her reply.

I talked with the officiant... Instead of 'till death do you part'?  
We say 'from this day forward'  
Simple. To the point. No second guessing the whole vampire/undead thing

And Lilly sat there giggling at her phone.  
Yes, this was the man she wanted to spend forever with. 

On the beach below the house, the guys had gathered.  
They wore dress pants, dress shirts, but no coats. Only vests.

They got the bonfire roaring and planted torches around as well.  
The officiant was there as well as Mr. Fischer.  
He had been so kind to Lilly, she and David both through it fitting he was there. 

Lilly and mom made their way down the path to the beach.   
They hadn't noticed her yet, so Lilly got to enjoy watching the guys clowning around on the beach unnoticed.

As they approached the beach David caught sight of them.  
He may have chuckled as he took in her appearance, but he heartily approved.  
He wondered what the officiant would think. 

The dress flowed a bit past her knees and wrapped around one shoulder and was pitch black.  
The other guys caught sight and snapped to attention, Robert heading to their make shift sound system. 

Lilly grinned when she was close enough to recognize Apocalyptica's cover of 'Nothing Else Matters”.  
It seemed the guys had thought of everything she hadn't.

When they were half way there, David approached them both.   
He brought them to the inner circle of the torches.  
He kissed Moms cheek and smiled at her before taking Lilly's hand and they walked to the officiant.   
If he had misgivings about a wedding at night or a bride in black, he didn't say anything. 

He did speak of love and steps forward and everlasting bonds. 

“The couple would now like to share their vows taken from Celtic tradition.”  
He bowed his head a little to each of them.  
David took Lilly's had and for a moment she blanked, forgot every line she had memorized.

She looked up into his eyes, panicked.   
He just smiled at her and mouthed, I pledge...

She sighed, nodding.  
“I pledge to you that yours will be the name I cry aloud in the night.”  
She could feel her mother roll her eyes, even behind her.   
And judging by David's grin, that's exactly what she did.   
But, he continued the line.  
“And the eyes into which I smile in the morning.  
I pledge to you the first bite of my meat.”   
Lilly picked up the next part, “and the first drink from my cup.  
I pledge to you my living.”  
David grinned again, “And my dying, each equally in your care”

The last part they said in unison and for a moment, no one else seemed to be on the beach but the two of them.  
“I shall be a shield for your back and you for mine  
I shall not slander you, nor you me  
I shall honor you above all others  
This is my wedding vow to you  
This is the marriage of equals.”

David moved like he was going to kiss her then but stopped short.

“I... don't get to do that yet, do I?”

The officiant just shrugged with a grin.   
David did lean forward and lightly, chastely kissed Lilly.   
That's when she started crying.

It hit her suddenly, but she also smiled and laughed.  
David squeezed her hand.

Mark handed David a little silver looking ring and Joel handed Lilly a slightly larger, slightly thicker ring.  
Lilly wasn't quite sure what they were, but they looked pretty and didn't burn David.

The 'I do's' came and David really got to kiss Lilly as everyone cheered.


	43. Ready for Change

There was really to much food for a reception involving nine people.  
But, Lilly figured it would eventually get eaten, knowing the boys... knowing her.

At some point during the night, she and David moved into the dining room and signed the marriage certificate.  
Mom and Mr. Fischer signed as witnesses and it was finally official.

Lilly was giddy and David seemed to to need to be touching her at all times; holding her hand, playing with her hair.

It was amazing that Mr. Fischer happened to find Lilly alone for a moment.  
David was with Mom, whispering low at the kitchen island, occasionally looking up at Lilly with a grin.  
Lilly sat on the arm of the couch, watching them and giggling...

“Beautiful service. Unusual, but beautiful,” Mr. Fischer lifted her hand and patted it.

“Thank you. And thank you for coming,” She stood to properly hug him.

“Of course. Been a while since I've been to a wedding. Not since I lost my wife... I understand, you lost your first husband?”  
She nodded.  
Having lost his own wife, he seemed to understand it was okay to mention Jay.   
She had been thinking of him all day, in the back of her mind.   
A pleasant warmth washing over everything, even with a pang of sadness.

They both looked up at David and Mom in the kitchen.   
Joel was behind them, eyes huge at obviously overhearing something he wasn't meant to.

Lilly and Mr. Fischer laughed, watching them.

“Well, It must be nice to have an imortal husband this time around...”

“Oh, you have no idea! It-... excuse me?”

She knew the color drained from her face and gave her away.   
She swore she would work on her reactions from now on.   
That was no way to protect the guys.

He chuckled, putting his hand gently on her shoulders.

“I thought your sister was crazy when she first tried to tell me they were all 'unnatural'.   
But, I started putting it together; only came out at night, other worldly beauty...   
the way he bundled up at the funeral! Ha!”

Lilly tried to calm her racing heart, smiling with a sigh.  
“You... You don't mind then? They don't scare you?”

Mr. Fischer looked at them again, David hugging Mom, Joel and Mark seeing how many wontons they could fit in their mouths, Robert and Nick keeping score... and he just chuckled.

“Terrified, I assure you.”

Lilly snorted.

“Listen, Lilly... I don't know much about vampires.   
But what I've seen? David is a good man.   
They all are. I'm glad you found them.”

He patted her shoulder.

“Yeah... me too.”

It was late.   
The party was still going on in the house, but Lilly and David had slipped away.  
They walked along the beach, hand in hand.

“It's probably silly... But I thought we could maybe spend the night in the cave.”  
Lilly laid her head on David's shoulder as they walked.

“The... cave?” David asked.

Her head shot right back up.  
“You guys haven't found the cave yet?!”

She gripped his hand and lead him, giggling and kicking up sand as they went.

The cave was on the far side of the property, an area David din't even know was still part of the property.

A cave by the sea.   
He couldn't help the pang of homesickness.   
Not necessarily for Santa Carla, but for that time, that era.

Water ran through it, out into the ocean. There were rocks there of various heights.   
Lilly started to climb these and David followed after.  
They found a smooth spot and curled up in each others arms. 

David looked up out of the cave to the ocean and sky before them and gasped.

It was so clear, it was like looking out at the entire galaxy, close enough to touch.  
He had to remember to breath.

She watched him, watching the sky.   
How his eyes lit up, how he stared in wonder. 

He was so beautiful it made her heart ache.

He caught her staring and grinned at her, lifting her chin to kiss her.

“Thank you for sharing this with me.   
It's incredible... You're incredible...”

She let out the breath she had been holding.  
“Well... I think I'm ready.”

He raised his eyebrow and grinned, mischievous.

She rolled her eyes, laying her head in the crook of his neck.  
“Not just that, you dork. I'm ready for you to change me.”

He pulled back till she could look him in the eye.  
The eyebrow was still raised, but now in confusion. 

“Make me... a vampire?”

She watched everything on his face drop, surprised and maybe even a little disappointment.

“Lilly... I'm not changing you.”

She went silent, frozen in his arms.  
Then, she went as far as to push him away a little.  
“Oh... I guess I just assumed... wait, why? Is there something wrong with me?”

“Hey now!” He pulled her back to his side, running fingers through her hair.   
“Not to sound cliche, but it's not you, its me!” he chuckled a little.

She sighed, but let herself be held.  
“Don't give me any 'cursed beings' and 'could never let you be the monster I am' shit, okay?   
I've thought it through and its something I want, something I am very okay with.”

“Well, technically, so am I.”

She waited, intrigued.  
He took a large breath.

“The last two times I changed people... they both ended up hating me. It nearly got me killed.   
So, while I really don't have an issue with you being a vampire... I am going as slowly as possible about it...”

She knew he couldn't see her nod, but he must have felt it against his shoulder.

“Now, if you can't wait... You have my blessing to ask one of the guys to do it...   
But, if you can wait? I promise I will turn you.... when I'm ready, okay?”

She pulled off his shoulder again, staring into his eyes. She could swear she could see the galaxy in those eyes, just for her.

“I trust you... and I wouldn't want anyone else to change me. I respect you and your wishes...”

He kissed her, a quick peck on the lips in happiness.

“Just don't let me get too old! I'm already, technically, physically almost ten years older then you! People will talk...”

“Let'em talk, cougar...” He grinned.


	44. A Dangerous Game

“No.”

It was the first time she could ever remember David telling her flat out no to something.

“Are- aren't we going to talk about it?”

David shrugged.  
“You can talk if you want, but it doesn't change my mind.”

She gaped at him, unsure how to proceed.   
“I just put a lot of thought into this, a lot of work and I though-”

“Did I ask you to?”

She bit her lip.   
It was a fair point. She never even asked him how he felt about the whole thing.  
She didn't have anything else she could think of, could say.

Mark saw her distress and patted Lilly's arm.   
“We can always do it without him. It's not that hard.”

She nodded, looking around the table at all the other guys smiling at her, encouraging. 

“I know... I just. I thought it was something we could do together and since it was a big deal to me, he might want to be part of it. But you're right. We can still do it and-”

David Threw his head back for a minute, just looking up at the ceiling, before looking at Lilly with head cocked.   
“You are a manipulator. And for the record, I don't think this is fair.”

“Well, I don't want you to do it unless you want to!” She insisted.

The others could see the argument turning south real quick and braced for the worst. 

“Just give me the damn character sheet. What freaking dice do I need?”

Joel handed him a set of seven.   
David threw his head back again.

Joel grinned.  
“It's fine. I'll tell you when and which to use. You're our barbarian, so you don't have to work with prepping spells and stuff. Just fighting, blood and guts.”

“Something good...” David grumbled, looking over the character sheet Lilly had painstakingly made.   
“hu... 'Dark and brooding, moody'...”

He looked up from the sheet to Lilly.   
She shrugged.   
“You're certainly moody tonight.”

Before David could retort, Robert clapped his hands, rubbing them together.   
“None of you have met, though you have heard of each other. Each of you have an impressive reputation: some famous, some infamous...”

Robert was a good DM. He was good with stories. He had run a DnD campaign in his college days and was itching to start up again. 

“The king has sought you all out, contracting you all. Your mission is a mystery... until you meet this night, outside the village...”

Four hours later, David was yelling at Lilly again. 

“I don't care what spells Isengaurd the Sage has, when I tell you to duck out of the fight, you duck!   
I have one heath pack left and you have none!   
You do something stupid like take a fireball to that little halfling head of yours again, who's going to bail you out?!”

It was so difficult not to laugh.   
Lilly put her hand to her mouth to literally bit her finger to stop herself from laughing, nodding and desperately trying to passing it off as 'concern'.

Still, David caught the feel of the room, the amusement surrounding him, all of them refusing to meet his eye.

“I... guess it's an okay game. But I'm not playing more then once a week...”


	45. One rule

Lilly was curled up on the couch, indulging in a video game.   
The boys were hunting that night, so she had started an epic RPG and had just started a side quest when the front door slammed open. 

Her eyes went wide and she slowly lifted herself to look over the back of the couch.

Nick stood there in the now open door.   
He hadn't noticed her peeking yet.

He was breathing hard, covered in blood, eyes wide and frightened without really taking in his surroundings. 

He looked so much like the first time Lilly had met him she felt deja vu wash over her.

“Nick?”

His eyes snapped up to her, still peaking over the couch.  
He seemed to let out the breath he had be unconsciously holding in. 

“I'm sorry... Lilly I'm so sorry...”

She got up from the couch and approached him.   
He pulled back a little, but did let her get close enough to touch his face. 

“Sorry? Why? Nick, what happened?”

He didn't speak at first.  
Then, it all came pouring out. 

“I couldn't stop. I think I killed them- the guys don't know. Maybe they know, I don't know...”

He looked into her eyes; pained, frightened.

“I wanted so much for this to be my family. I wanted this to work, but...”

He put his hand around her neck, pulling her to kiss her forehead, then flew up the stairs.

She gave him a bit of time before she went to his room.  
She called to him, but he didn't answer. 

“Nick, please talk to me?” Her voice wavered and she sniffed, trying to control it.   
“We can fix this. We can work it out. Please?”

She just put her hand on the door and it pushed open.

The other boys came home when Lilly texted.  
They had been out looking for Nick since they noticed his absence. 

All they had found was a dead body left by him.

They came into the house to see Lilly just sitting on the stairs.

“He... he left...” She sniffed. 

No one said anything.   
David sat beside her and put his arm around her shoulder.


	46. Doctor

David didn't accompany Lilly to the doctors.  
Usually to early, still daylight.  
But November freed him up and, since he had no bikes to fix up at the moment, he gladly offered to take Lilly in.

Which is why she found it so strange when he changed half way through her appointment.

First, it started with fidgeting.  
Moving around in the chair while the doctor examined her.

Then, it was rushing out, tugging Lilly's hand before she could even schedule a follow up.

"What was he doing? Is there something wrong with your neck? Why was he so fixated on your neck?"  
He started before they were even out the door.

"I don't think he was fixated on it..." Lilly assured.

"I don't like him. I've never seen a doctor use a stethoscope on a neck before.   
He kept touching it; why your neck? He was-"

"David, the man seemed more interested in my feet of you ask me!"

"... You say that like it's supposed to make me feel better."

Lilly turned to look at him fully.  
"David... Are you jealous?"

David looked at her for a moment, eye blank.  
"Well, yeah, as a matter of fact. I don't like him touching you... Especially your neck like that. It just..."

Lilly wrapped her arms around David's neck and leaned back against the Jeep, pulling him against her.

"You know you have no reason to be jealous, right? I have no interest in anyone but you, right?"

He took a deep breath, leaning his forehead against hers.

"It's not like that. Jealous is the wrong word...   
I don't trust guys around you. I know what animals they can be...   
I almost lost you once, Lilly..."

Oh... It started to click for her.

"... Listen. I just started with him. It probably wouldn't be hard to request a female provider..."

He pulled back, his eyes lighting up and smiling returning.  
"You would do that for me?"

Lilly rolled her eyes, smiling as well.  
"Well... Yeah, I would kind of prefer that anyway.  
It's kinda cute seeing you get all riled up, though."


	47. Sexuality

“I am not asexual!” Mark fairly shouted.   
Joel stopped grinning and just looked at him. 

Then Mark realized he had shouted, and realized the rest in the kitchen were looking at him, too.

“Sorry...”

Lilly shook her head.   
“Okay, no need to apologize... but I've got to ask what that was all about.”

Instantly, Marks temper flared again.   
“Joel keeps calling me asexual!”

“And... how did he come to that conclusion?” Robert asked, leaning on the counter.   
He was switching to therapist mode and Lilly was grateful.

Joel shrugged.  
“I was just wondering if he was straight, bi, whatever. He said the idea of sex didn't appeal to him.”

“That doesn't mean I'm asexual!”  
Mark insisted. 

Robert sighed, “Mark, do you know what asexual is?”

Mark hesitated. He frowned, but now in confusion rather then just frustration.  
“It means... doesn't it mean... maybe I don't... I want to be with someone, I just don't want sex...”

“That is exactly what it means,” Robert explained gently.   
“It doesn't mean there is anything wrong with you.   
It doesn't mean you can't be in a relationship.   
That you don't want romance and closeness; that would be aromantic.  
You are asexual...”

Marks frown lifted with ever word Robert said. 

“... I never knew that,” he finally admitted, not meeting anyone's eye. 

David chuckled, “Learn somethin' new everyday.”

And the mood in the kitchen righted itself, back to happy and playful.   
Mark was thankful; he felt normal.


	48. He'll be back...

December. It was cold, much colder then any of the guys had experienced being from California.  
They liked it. 

Lilly, though she had to put on many more layers then they did, claimed she enjoyed it as well. 

About a week in, she told everyone to get in the jeep.   
Mom seemed the only one to know where they were headed or what they were doing. 

Lilly drove them out of the city and seemingly half way up a mountain before she pulled over. 

“Cool... middle of nowhere...” David teased.   
“Any particular reason or just feeling the call of nature?”

“Um, you do realize we live in Oregon now, right?” Lilly asked as she pulled out her flashlight.   
The other guys just pulled out their phones to use the lights on them.

“Do any of you know what Oregon is famous for?”

The guys looked to each other, grinning despite their confusion. 

“Trees?” Joel offered with some sarcasm, a grin on his face.

Lilly grinned right back.  
“More specifically... Christmas trees.”

It took a lot longer then she thought it would for them to pick up on it. 

Mark's excited, “We're cutting our own tree!?!” had Mom laughing.   
She passed out the candy canes that she insisted were tradition from her youth and soon they had all scattered to hunt for the best tree.

Lilly took Mom's arm and they searched at their own pace.   
“I wasn't sure what we would end up with, so I just bought a bunch of permits.   
Do you want a little one for your she shed?”

“You better believe it... But I'm going to dig it up, replant it. Use it over and over.”

Lilly laughed, “I don't think my permit covers that!”  
Mom just shrugged. 

They ended up with four; Joel happily dug up Mom's choice her her house.   
Then they had one for the living room, one for the landing upstairs, and one for the dining room.

Lilly helped Mom pull her newly potted tree into her little house.   
Mom looked at it proudly.  
Then she asked,

“Why did Nicky leave?”

The question came out of nowhere, and since Lilly had never referred to him as 'Nicky', she was extremely confused.

She just stared for a while before blurting, “Nick! You mean Nickolas!”

Mom just looked at her, waiting for an answer.  
Lilly couldn't keep the sigh in.

“He... Nick is... He has some stuff he needs to work out. He decided he wanted to work them out on his own.”

Mom nodded, turning back to admire her pine sapling. 

“He'll be back.”


	49. Unfair

Mark had just put his guitar down in the living room to grab something from the fridge.

When he came back, Joel had it.  
Mark smiled. Joel hadn't shown any interest before.

He sat beside him on the couch and popped open his soda can.  
"You know, I could teach you some stuff... If you want."

Joel looked at him a while.  
While maintaining eye contact, he started playing the very song Mark had been trying to reach himself, almost flawlessly.

Marks jaw dropped.  
"You never said you could play!"

Joel shrugged.  
"Didn't know it till now..."

Mark felt his cheeks grow hot.  
He knew it was overreaction, the anger that rise up in him.

"You mean you just picked it up and can play? How is that fair?!"

Joel couldn't stop the laugh in his voice.  
"I'm a visual learner! I watch. I learned watching Mom... And you, Dingus. You already taught me."

Mark want totally satisfied, but let Joel keep playing.  
"S'not fair..."


	50. Flare up

David rolled over, his arm naturally reaching over and wrapping his arm around Lilly.   
The sun was just setting and he wasn't quite awake.  
But Lilly wasn't usually there when he woke up. 

So he shook himself awake, listening for her breathing.  
“Lilly?”

She sniffed.  
Her back was facing him so he pulled himself up to look at her face.  
Through tears, she smiled up at him. 

“Hi...”

He kissed her cheek gently.  
“Good morning... rough night?”

She nodded, adjusting her position on the bed and making a pained sound.  
“It's... Just the weather. I'm surprised there haven't been more. The weather here is different then California, so...”

He groaned, letting his head fall to her shoulder.   
“I never should have suggested moving here. You already have-”

“David, stop it. I've always wanted to live here. You didn't do anything.”

He picked his head back up and looked at her.  
“You're sure?”

She grinned.  
“I wouldn't change our life here for anything. I mean it.”

David had gone upstairs and the guys cornered him, asking him about Lilly, worrying.   
He assured them she was fine before going back down to her. 

He relayed the messages from the guys and she pouted. 

“Maybe a basement bedroom wasn't the best idea. I just wish I could get up there!”

David grinned and moved to her side of the bed.  
He slipped his arms under her and lifted her, despite he squealing. 

“You can lift me?!”  
She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her up the stairs. 

He chuckled, opening the door and carrying her through the kitchen and into the living room where the guys were setting up the tree.

They cheered as David set her up on the couch, pillows and blankets surrounding her.

The tree in the living room was huge.   
Lilly worried for a minute as they were placing it, voicing her concern they even owned a ladder tall enough to decorate it. 

David just looked at her for a minute before lifting himself to the top with the sting of lights to start winding it around the tree. 

She watched him, giggling.   
“Oh, we are going to have so much fun decorating this house!”

And that's what they did most of the night: decorating three trees, decorating high on the walls.

Lilly had insisted she was fine, well enough at least to get tea for herself, when she heard a knock at the kitchen door. 

She was confused. It was late and people usually came to the front door, not the side.  
She figured Mom had accidentally been locked out and opened it without much more thought.

She gasped.  
Nick stared at her.  
Both were unable to speak.

He finally swallowed hard and pulled a phone out from his backpack,   
the phone Lilly had given him.

“I just... I'm sorry, I should have just left it. The phone...   
I realize it was a mistake and I wanted to give it back.   
I left with it and today I saw you accidentally had paid for it this month so I thought I better return it and...”

He was so tense and everything came rushing out of his mouth.

She laid her hand on his arm as he stretched it out to her to give her back the phone.

“It's no mistake; I meant to pay for it.”  
He stared at her.

She grinned at him, clutching his arm.   
She didn't think she would ever get to touch him again. 

“We wanted you to keep in contact. We hoped you'd let us know how you are or... if you ever decided to come back-”

“Come back?” he choked, shocked.

“Of course...”  
Lilly didn't know when David had come up behind her.   
He came up beside her, steadying arm around her waist, and she couldn't help feeling like parents welcoming home the prodigal son. 

“You made a mistake; we all have. As long as you're willing to learn from it, to try again...   
This is your home, Nickolas.”

Nick's arm that Lilly held twisted in her hand and gripped her back, as if he was terrified to let go.  
As if he were afraid that once he let go, the opportunity would be gone. 

She pulled him into the kitchen, limping and not caring. 

David went ahead of them, blocking them from the guys as they walked into the living room.

“Merry early Christmas!” Lilly shouted.

The guys turned to look. David stepped aside.  
There was an explosion of movement and sound both.   
They attacked Nick, pulling him into the living room and all talking at once.

Robert noticed he was crying, overwhelmed and overstimulated.   
“Guys! Calm down, back up; he needs room to breath.”

Nick laughed, wiping his face.  
“Don't you dare. I missed this too much.”

David had helped Lilly back to the couch, kissing her head.   
“Whole family's home for Christmas.”


	51. Revelation

Lilly had been scrolling on her phone on the couch when David brought up food.

She thought about it for a while before offering,  
"Hmmm... Pizza or Taco Bell?  
Pizza can be delivered... But Taco Bell is... Taco Bell."

David was sitting on the floor beside her and turned to make a face.  
"Pizza, please."

She nudged him with her foot.  
"What? You got something against Taco Bell?"

"It's not real Mexican food..." He answered, as if that was the end of the matter.

Lilly laughed.  
"Of course it isn't ... It's Taco Bell!"

He turned back to her and just looked at her.

Her jaw dropped open a bit.  
"Oh my gosh, you... You don't like Taco Bell... Like, at all..."

He shook his head, eyebrows going up.

Lilly stared back at him, her features slowly turning to horror.

"How did I not know this... How have we never been there together..."

She looked away, confused.  
"What kind of monster did I marry..."

That's what broke him and he threw his head back against the couch laughing.


	52. New Addition

Lilly wasn't home when the guys got up.  
The jeep was gone, so they weren't too worried.

Eventually, she came through the door, practically dancing.

David looked at her from where he lounged on one of the couches, looked to the others, then shrugged, jumping up to dance with her.  
The boys laughed and stood to join the impromptu, musicless dance party. 

“Not that I mind, but what are we dancing to?”  
David asked as he held her close, swinging her around.

“I just had an interview with the local animal shelter. They hired me on the spot! Part time, afternoons. I start tomorrow and after work, I'm bringing home our new cat!”

David looked at her, a little smile at the corner of his mouth.  
“Well, look at you...”

Robert had now connected his phone to the stereo by bluetooth so it wasn't quite as silly to be dancing.  
David swung Lilly out and into Nick's arms.  
As Nick danced with her, David pulled Mark over to start dancing with him.

Joel and Robert moved the coffee table to the side so they didn't have to dance around it and what had started as Lilly's happy “new job” wiggle became a whole night of dancing. 

When Lilly came home the next day, as promised, she brought home the new cat.  
Though she left the carrier open, he just sat in it for hours.  
Mark crouched near the carrier, suggested reaching in to pull him out.   
Lilly's eyes went wide as she slowly shook her head.

That caught everyone's attention.   
She didn't meet anyone's eye.

David looked at the carrier sitting in the living room, then to Lilly.  
“Lilly... is there something you want to tell us about our... newest addition?”

Lilly let out a long exhale.  
“Alright, maybe... He was going to be euthanized because he was brought into the shelter from four different homes for being a mean little asshole. I figured even if he never warms up, Tudball and Wiggins are cuddly enough! He can just.... live here. I just couldn't let them kill him...”

Nick started laughing.  
“Leave it to you, Lilly. We should call this place The Last Resort!”

Lilly didn't lift her head, turning red.  
But she did mumble.

David smiled at her, reaching to lift her chin.  
“What was that love?”

“I said I kinda like it. It's kinda 'Pride and Prejudice”, naming the houses. Last Resort works.”

Lilly ended up falling asleep on the couch.  
The guys were outside, doing something dangerous and possibly stupid.

David was on the other couch.  
Occasionally, he would watch Lilly's sleeping form, wondering if he should carry her down to bed.

The new cat finally decided to come out.  
It sniffed the room, slinking low to the ground and moving slow.

David caught the movement out of the corner of his eye.

He didn't move for fear of starling it.  
He just watched it explore.

It was all black and slightly bigger then Wiggins, not nearly as big as Tudball.

It seemed to realize it was being watched.  
It looked up at David, wide eyed.

David still didn't move. He wondered if he should alert Lilly.

It ran at him and for a second he braced himself for attack.

It jumped on his chest, knocking the wind out of him. It stood there, looking into his eyes.  
He didn't know if it was like a dog and challenging him, if he should look away or what.

He blinked.  
Slowly, the cat blinked back.  
It walked in a little circle on his chest before laying down on him.

He wasn't even used to Tudball or Wiggins doing that.  
It felt odd since it chose to lay right over the scar on his chest.  
But, he decided, not unpleasant.

Tentatively, he reached and scratched behind it's ear.

"Ek!"  
He had never heard a cat make that sound.  
But, it seemed content so he continued.

Soon it made a sound not quite a purr, more like a broken muffler on a ducati.

He chuckled.  
"Hello, Herman..."

He decided not to tell Lilly. He wanted to wait and let her think she had the first interaction with the supposedly asshole cat.

It would be years before she got that moment.


	53. Important Questions

“The whole Taco Bell thing has really raised some questions in our relationship..."

After the wedding, Lilly and David had shown the guys the cave by the sea.  
It quickly became a favorite hang out spot, as well as the cliff above it became a great jumping point to the ocean for the guys.

Tonight they had lit a fire at the mouth of the cave, sitting on rocks around the flames and passed a few joints among them.

Every one had heard the Taco Bell incident and if the had objections to the fast food place themselves, the boys didn't voice them to Lilly.

David looked at Lilly as he tended the fire, eyebrows raised at her declaration.

"You're not serious...?"

She didn't answer but fought a smile.

"Frankly, I now need to know David...  
What's funnier: bananas or cheese?"

David just stared for a good long while, bent over the fire.  
He broke into a grin.  
"You aren't ser-"

"Cheese!"  
Came the quick reply from Mark.   
Robert and Nick nodded slowly as if thinking the matter over.  
David looked at them wide eyed before looking to Joel.

Joel shook his head, taking a long drag from the reefer.  
"I know the answer and I'm not giving you any hints."

He passed the joint to Lilly who looked expectantly at David.  
"Hmmm... interesting. Do you agree with the boys? I want your honest answer..."

David wasn't sure if he wanted to walk out of the cave and leave them all or just fall in the sand laughing.

Instead, he gave her the honest answer she claimed to want.

"Cheese, Lilly. Definitely cheese."

Lilly looked over to Joel who raised his arm,   
extending a fist for her which she bumped.  
She looked back to David and exhaled with a grin.

"I knew I loved you..."

He pulled the joint away from her while simultaneously leaning in for a kiss.  
"No more for you tonight..."


	54. Bitch

"Nick, we have got to get you your own bike soon," David commented.  
Lilly was slipping behind him on his bike as Nick was slipping behind Robert on his.

"Oh, that's okay! I kinda like riding bitch behind Robert if that's okay..."

Everyone turned to look at him, including Robert.

Nick shrunk down where he sat.  
"Is that not okay?"

"It's fine," said Robert and since it was his bike he was really the only one who could make that call.  
"But ... what did you call it?"

"... Riding bitch?"

David started chuckling.  
"What kind of misogynistic, urban dictionary shit site did you pick that up from?!"

Lilly half expected Nick to be upset, to withdraw as all the guys started to chuckle.

Instead he smiled, despite the blush rushing to his cheeks.

"I think from a movie...What? Is that not the biker term?"

David shook his head and he grinned, "Over thirty years of riding I've never heard it. Pillion is the technical term, 'back warmer' is the only slang I've heard..."

He started his bike up and the rest of the guys followed.

Robert grinned back at Nick who had his hand over his face.   
Under it he was laughing, still blushing.

"You can ride bitch with me any time."


End file.
